Jaime Castro

Here I present five pieces that are part of a visual investigation I carried out following a trip to San Esteban, Puerto Cabello, in the state of Carabobo, Venezuela. Recently, thanks to the kind invitation of Carlos Flores and Cabinet Gallery in Caracas, I visited this magnificent place—just as Humboldt once suggested to Bellermann. During those years, other creators and scientists such as Anton Goering, Karl Ferdinand Appun, and others also traveled through the area, documenting and revealing to Europe the richness of our tropical forests in Venezuela. The natural environment of this site remains remarkably intact, and it instantly captivates visitors with a kind of magic. It was deeply moving to walk the same paths they once took and to hear stories about their experiences. Now a national park, San Esteban still preserves the Camino de las Bestias (Path of the Beasts), originally made by the region’s indigenous peoples, which allowed swift passage between Puerto Cabello and Valencia. Parts of this path later became the Camino Real, along which the Puente Real—also known as the Bridge of the Spaniards—was built. This pointed-arch stone bridge made it possible to cross the area when the San Esteban River swelled with heavy flow. Over the years, I have traveled to various natural landscapes in Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, and this place is undoubtedly one of the most lush and beautiful of them all. Here I share five works from a larger series. These pieces were conceived to be printed in three sizes, though the large format is certainly the most suitable to appreciate the intricate detail of the tropical forest.