CASA ORTIZ (1993)
The photo series Casa Ortiz (1993) was made in a house of the same name in Laredo, a small town on the border between the United States and Mexico. Originally Laredo was Mexican; presently it lies in the American state of Texas. Laredo is separated from Mexico by the Rio Grande river, which many Mexicans cross illegally to try their luck in America. Almost every night Casa Ortiz offers a view of the American border patrol in their hunt for illegal Mexican migrants. The French photographer Gladys produced this portrait of the classic mansion and the generations of women and children that live in it. Both appear to be prisoners of history, says Gladys. Within the historic atmosphere of Casa Ortiz, the residents conduct themselves as if they also lived in another era.
