Interiors & Decorations

Jewellery & Precious Stones

Watches, Pens & Lighters

Fashion

Coins & Stamps

Comics & Animation

Classic Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia

Wine, Whisky & Spirits

Asian & Tribal Art

Trading Cards

Toys & Models

Archaeology & Natural History

Sports

Music, Movies & Cameras

Books & Historical Memorabilia

The finest objects brought to you by {name}

Sebastian Hau

uciérnaga is in many ways a ritual. An attempt to exorcise the unresolved traumas in the spectral landscape of Magnum Photographer Yael Martinez’s homeland in Guerrero, México. 



The work began in 2013 after three members of the artist's family disappeared. This tragedy began an investigation into the pervasive violence of organised crime in the region, how it infiltrates daily life and transforms the spirit of a place. He later spent time alongside other families with missing loved ones. Through these encounters, dots were connected beyond the artist's immediate family and across borders into Honduras, Brazil, and the US, forming a constellation imbued with the shared experience of endemic violence. 



Throughout the work, images are threaded together by diaristic notes from the field. They were written by Martinez as he grappled with the range of emotions presented in the aftermath of loss and the process of navigating bereavement with families who were never given a chance to mourn. We don’t see death in Luciérnaga, but its omnipresence is felt throughout, lingering in the shadows of each photograph. Each image painfully underwritten by the result of a calculated violence that visited unseen and undetected, leaving behind the immense void of a vanished loved one. And yet there is always a sense of hope that informs the making of this work. 



Between 2019 to 2023, Martinez began a series of interventions into his photographs, piercing holes through the prints and then backlighting them. Bright rays emanate through the pictures in free flowing shapes, throwing light against a dark backdrop. In this process the light metamorphosizes with the scenes depicted and conjures an alchemy where something restorative, tentatively optimistic and resilient occurs. 



It is in Luciérnaga's blend of fantasy and reality that the well-covered topics of violence in the Latin American context are re-examined. Feelings are expressed rather than evoked, and via the ordinary characters who guide us through this book, scope is given to the humanity of those enduring a difficult territory, whilst confronting the personal cost of violence. Now brought together in book form for the first time, the disappearances at the hands of organised crime and state violence are given a new representation, one where light illuminates the darkness as the firefly leads us into new possible realms.



Photography - Quantity: 1 - Photo book

Yael Martinez - Luciérnagas / Fireflies - 2025

Art & Photography Books

Reserve price

No reserve price

Buy now

Budget

From

Closing date

Thursday

28 March

today

29 March

Friday

Monday

2 April

Tuesday

Wednesday

1 April

tomorrow

4 April

3 April

Location

Italy

France

Germany

Japan

The Netherlands

Belgium

Spain

United Kingdom

Romania

Poland

Ireland

Austria

Slovak Republic

Czech Republic

Lithuania

Greece

Hungary

United States

Switzerland

Portugal

Israel

Sweden

Taiwan

Brand

Rolex

Hermès

Cartier

Gucci

Valentino

Audemars Piguet

Issey Miyake

Pirelli

Emilio Pucci

Prada

Object

Book

Photo book

Coffee table book

Reference book

Print

Magazine

Photograph

Autograph letter signed (ALS)

Movie & TV memorabilia / merchandise

Comic print

Biography

Poster design

Manuscript

Photo album

Xylophone

Poster

Book portfolio

Single sheet print

Country of origin

Canada

Condition

Very good

As new

Fine

Good

Fair

Mixed / Multiple

Excellent condition

A (excellent - mint condition)

Poor

Good condition

Very fine

Near mint

Extremely fine

Original State

Mint

Various conditions

Extras

Dust jacket

Signed

Slipcase

Signed by author

Signed by illustrator

Fold out maps or plates

Tipped in plates

Inscribed by author

Limited edition

Numbered edition

Hand coloured illustrations

Certificate

Hand signed

Period

2020+

2000-2010

2010s

2000s

1930-1940

1920-1930

2010-2020

19th century

Subject

Photography

Erotica

Illustrated

Architecture

History

Applied art

Art history

Travels

Interior design

Movies and television

Sociology

Literature

Graphic design

Collected works

Regional interest

Europe

Politics

Reference

Nature

America

Original artwork

War history

Style

Contemporary

Modern

Pop Art

Abstract

Surrealism

Art Nouveau

Art Deco

Graffiti

Conceptual art

Photorealism

Baroque

Futurism

Impressionism

Realism

Classical

Metaphysical Art

Cubism

Ancient Roman

Renaissance

Expressionism

Minimalism

Cobra

Op Art

Jugendstil

Arts & Crafts

Technique

Offset print

Lithograph

Digital print

Giclée

Other

Gelatin-silver print

Polaroid

Silkscreen

C-Print

Photogravure

Photolithography

Signature

Not signed

Plate signed

Stamped

Art & Photography Books

This object is no longer available, but there’s still lots to explore

Yael Martinez - Luciérnagas / Fireflies - 2025

Popular in Art & Photography Books

1678 objects

Related collections