Escalera had been diagnosed with cancer around 1992. He entered treatment and thankfully went into remission until 1999 when the cancer reemerged. It was this second encounter with his mortality that prompted him to create this piece. He stood in front of a mirror and had his Susana photograph him from over his shoulder, capturing the pose now immortalized in this wonderful painting. The hand being held out is in fact his right hand, which was his painting hand. He opted to superimpose himself over one of the most poignant pieces of archaeology found in Mexico, perhaps even the world, the Aztec Calendar. The artist is emerging as if he is in communion with the calendar, the culture and the country of his beloved Mexico. The name of the painting speaks for itself.
 
-1999