I had the idea for La Rampa in 2000, during the heyday of independent magazine culture. It became my space to experiment with narrative and sequence around the people and places of the Afro-Atlantic territory, each issue bilingual: Haiti, Cuba, Brazil and Portugal. I tried to photograph from an intuitive, subconscious place, letting go of preconceived notions and refusing to overthink the frame. I never start with an exact story in mind; the narrative should come from the inside out. Since 2000, these limited-edition artist books have formed one continuous body of work, and a physical record of trying to connect to the raw essence of a place.