Hunters in High Heels

Internationally celebrated musician/filmmaker Omar Rodríguez-López presents his first book of photographs, a sublime alternative to traditional rock-and-roll imagery

OMAR RODRÍGUEZ-LÓPEZ MAY BE BEST KNOWN for his filmmaking and transcendent songwriting/guitar playing with the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, and other bands, but many people aren’t aware that he is also an exceptional photographer. Hunters in High Heels is Omar’s first book of photographs, comprising photos taken between 2000 and 2006, during which the sheer scope of output and travel undertaken by the Grammy Award–winning musician and his fellow bandmates was nothing short of exhausting.

Sharply juxtaposed with typical books of rock-and-roll imagery, Omar’s photographs―all of which were shot on 35mm film―present a more elusive and evocative aesthetic that includes subjects such as highway signage, city skylines, and cloud formations, along with empty arenas and recording studios with friends and colleagues. This body of work provides an intimate glimpse into a specific period in the artist’s life.

In her preface to the book, photo editor Stephanie Celaya writes, “Omar is deeply interested in the world . . . an observer of changing landscapes, shifting cultures, and evolving relationships. Omar’s camera has become his touchstone. The combination of his international recognizability paired with his desire for privacy provides a unique and captivating glimpse into his nomadic life. The irony that Omar Rodríguez-López connects to and captures the quietest moments amid, and in between, some of the loudest places is not lost.”

Longtime fans of Omar’s music and film will be regaled with the beauty of these photographs, while newcomers will be feted with the sublime visual treasures comprising Hunters in High Heels.

Full color photographs throughout

OMAR RODRÍGUEZ-LÓPEZ is a Puerto Rican audio-visual artist best known as the producer/composer of several groundbreaking bands, including the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, and Bosnian Rainbows. He has also recorded and toured as a solo artist, and is frequently described as experimental, avant-garde, and progressive. In the span of his thirty-year career he’s collaborated with numerous artists, such as Erykah Badu, Lydia Lunch, Damo Suzuki, John Frusciante, Calle 13, and Mon Laferte, the latter of which both earned him Latin Grammys. Omar has written and directed a number of films as well, which have been projected at prestigious film festivals all over the world, including IFFR, Tribeca, FICM, and SXSW. He divides his time between El Paso, Texas, and Bayamón, Puerto Rico.