minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Can photographs tell stories?

Think about this question as you study these photographs from Sebastio Salgado's Genesis collection, the world's best attended photographic exhibition. While these are only 3 of the 200 images of "Genesis" and each can stand alone or together, we hope you'll look at more of the collection linked here http://www.peterfetterman.com/artists/sebastiao-salgado/genesis?view=slide as you formulate your thoughts.

Sebastio Salgado was born in Brazil in 1944 and raised on a cattle farm before moving to Paris as an economist and beginning his career in photography. Salgado is best known for his social documentary photography which is often presented in large exhibitions. He is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and recipient of many prestigious awards: The Gold Medal Award for Photography from New York's National Arts Club, the Hasselblad Award, ICP Photographer of the Year and the Royal Photographic Society'™s Centenary Medal of Honorary Fellowship.

In his most recent exhibition, entitled "Genesis", Salgado presents the earth's natural pristine environments and traditional cultures. The three images shown here are from "Genesis", which documents 30 trips taken over 8 years. Salgado does not consider himself an artist but instead a storyteller; the story he claims to tell in "Genesis" is that of people, animals and environments that are much as they were "in the beginning". So we ask you to consider, after evaluating these images singly and collectively, whether he has been successful in that endeavor.

Please share your impressions of one (or all) of these 3 images, or the collection as a whole. Here are some questions to get you started:
- What works or doesn'™t work in these images? Light, Moment, Composition, Subject, Processing?
- Do the images have impact? Why or why not?
- Do the images connect to the theme of the exhibition?
- Do the images tell stories/a story?

You are encouraged to review some of the fascinating support material for this collection:

ICP http://www.icp.org/exhibitions/sebastiÃo-salgado-genesis
Overview http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebasti%C3%A3o_Salgado
TED talk http://www.ted.com/talks/sebastiao_salgado_the_silent_drama_of_photography?language=en
Erick Kims Lessons Learned http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2015/03/02/5-lessons-sebastiao-salgado-has-taught-me-about-street-photography/
About the book http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/photography/all/05767/facts.sebastio_salgado_genesis.htm
Guardian article http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/may/18/sebastiao-salgado-photo-london-photography
NY Times article http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/23/sebastio-salgados-journey-from-brazil-to-the-world/?_r=0

The Eastern Part of the Brooks Range, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA http://press.lacaixa.es/socialprojects/exhibition-sebastiao-salgado-genesis-caixaforum-madrid-eng__816-c-19437__.html?view=photo - fair use

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Dinka Group at Pagarau Cattle Camp, Southern Sudan http://www.peterfetterman.com/artists/sebastiao-salgado/genesis?view=slider#51 - fair use

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Macaroni Penguins in Zavodovski Island, The Sandwich Islands http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/sebastiao-salgado-retrospective-exhibition-powerful-images-by-brazilian-photographer-1467040- fair use

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Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

Unfortunately for this discussion I either like or don't like an image so being able to dissect the images and critique them is beyond my abilities. That being said my first impressions of each follows'
#1 very well exposed and printed but it makes me think I've had to much to drink as it is listing to port. I guess to give the range on the right more altitude but it is off putting for me.
#2 I just love it. Not reason why other than it feels RIGHT.
#3 Maybe because my eyes are old and weak but this feels too busy.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

A further quote regarding the exhibit, “It is testimony that our planet still harbors vast and remote regions where nature reigns in silent and pristine majesty.”

Scrolling through the slides in your first link, I felt more impact from the collective work (imagine viewing that exhibit in person!) + I liked several individually more than #1 and #3 here.

Like Rich, #3 just seems too busy; I don't feel any connection. Also, I still vividly remember the movie, "March of the Penguins," which had me weeping over the beauty of the opening sequence.

#1 doesn't grab me. Intellectually I understand the vast, rugged space depicted, but the aerial viewpoint leaves me feeling separated from the moment, and with no emotion.

#2 is fascinating for the depiction of a culture so foreign from my own. I'm curious about the role of the cattle: the decorations on their horns suggest a prized and valuable commodity - perhaps a symbol of wealth and status, along with being critical as food source. Dusty and harsh surroundings, interesting details, and I like the closer framing that encourages my mind to fill in the rest.

For the reasons noted in the paragraph above, #2 would be most in line with what I think of as traditional storytelling.

But I also like to use story to mean the moment in time and the details within the frame that the photographer chooses to show. A photo of a rosebud, a photo of a colorful rose bloom at peak beauty, and a photo of a withered, dying rose...all are different stories.

Thanks for another super-interesting thread, Minnie. It is obvious you put a great deal of thought and homework into these!

Treepusher Loc: Kingston, Massachusetts

All three shots are impressive use of the medium, toned well. The first shot absolutely makes me think of 'in the beginning,' the river like lightning, and the earth empty of life. I like that one best of the group.

Second shot, meh. Can't tell if the cowbells are wooden or cast, but seem out of place. The cattle themselves with those horns resemble the ancient aurochs we see in cave paintings, so I suppose that works for a genesis/early times shot, but truthfully it doesn't do much for me.

The third shot, the land teeming with animal life, okay, it's an 'in the beginning' kind of shot, but too busy to really be pleasing, at least to me.

Overall, an excellent use of the medium, good adherence to his theme, but truthfully I wouldn't hang any of these in my living room. Guess I'm just not into that sort of art.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thanks for weighing in. Few of us are trained in critique but we know enough fundamentals to "think" our way through an image and we know what we like!

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thanks Linda, for a thoughtful consideration. To be honest, I liked some more than these as well, but chose these for the discussion on purpose but rather unscientifically. And I agree that the collective work has more impact than any one image.

I think Salgado tells individual stories in his images, but writes a larger story in the collection.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thank you for your detailed response. The lightning motif in the first one may well be his intent, since this is the one he chose for the lead image of the exhibition and the cover of the book.

Thank you for making the connection to the aurochs on the second one. Subconsciously that may have been why I picked that one. I kept trying to get away from it, but it kept coming back.

Frank2013 Loc: San Antonio, TX. & Milwaukee, WI.

“The Salt of the Earth” a 1h 50m Biography/Documentary is available. I had insomnia one night and was flipping through channels, came across it close to the begging and watched it. Thought it was very good and was astonished by his work. A remarkable individual in my book, with a life dedicated to his passion. I liked the Erich Kims link the best. My short answer to your question is yes.

woodfrog Loc: Tennessee

All three depict harsh environments.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

That is something I hadn't really thought about but it is true, for the majority of the 200 images in the collection.

Thanks for sharing that!

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

Actually love this guys work and have nothing but admiration for his sales and promotion technique. Did he dream it up or did he have a good agent who said "Sebastio we need an angle. Hows about telling em your a story teller?" And the saps fell for it and made him rich and famous.
That's all you need to find,an angle. Yep two dimensional images in black and white tell stories huh.
Once upon a time in Southern Sudan lived a cow with big horns called Malcolm. To keep Malcolm safe from the Viking hordes who constantly raided the place the owners would disguise the cows as Christmas trees by decorating the horns. The Vikings when not raping and pillaging would bump of cows like Malcolm and decorate their hats with the horns. Vikings of course come from the Nordic regions ie the home of the Christmas tree so were not fooled by this ploy for one moment which is why any self respecting viking always had a big pair of horns neatly attached to either side of his helmet. The end.............................
Ol Billy can tell you a story or two! Have you heard the one about the penguins who refused to practice contraception?

Thank you for the work put into this min I do seriously love his work but not buying into the story telling m'lady. Snappers bunkum!

winterrose Loc: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thanks for dropping by. I agree his work is outstanding.

The storytelling part is from his words, not mine. Read the links and you'll see. He is pretty consistent through all his interviews and writings.

He says he is not an artist, and that in his opinion, photography is not art. He says he is primarily a storyteller, and photography is the medium he uses to tell the stories he wishes to tell. I thought that was interesting.

RichJ207 Loc: Sammamish, WA

Hi minniev,
A number of Sebastio Salgado's books are available from our local library system and we read through each of them. His life story and work, both photographic and social, are thought provoking. Maybe they are available more broadly?
Cheers.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thanks for sharing Rich. I found his books available on Amazon. Public libraries can be great resources for us of course.

Salgado seems like a fascinating person, who has integrated his photography with his life view and his "first" career as an economist.