Graciela Iturbide Mexican, b. 1942

The photograph shows a man with his back to the camera, gazing at the dry landscape near Tijuana’s border, his prominent tattoo of the Virgin of Guadalupe visible on his back. As a revered patron saint in Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe symbolizes grace, pride, identity, and protection. She is often associated with the Aztec goddess Tonantzin, with her radiant halo symbolizing divine light and echoing the shape of the spiky agave plant—the sacred source of pulque, mezcal, and tequila—especially emphasized during her feast days. (White Fence Revisited) Through this imagery, Iturbide demonstrates how devotion, heritage, and everyday life come together, transforming the body into a living expression of Mexican culture spirituality.