LATIN AMERICA
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Most of my work in Latin America was done between 1989 - 2003. It was period when a life long interest in Latin American culture and history fueled my extended travels in the region; That phase gradually eased up in 2003-4 after a trip that took me through many countries in Latin America and ended with me staying in Ecuador for six months.
Some things seem destined to happen. In grade school I pored over accounts of explorations into the Amazon, the Andes, and to the 'ends of the earth' in Tierra del Fuego. Stories of these places fascinated me, firing my imagination and led me to my first trip to Brazil in 1976. That's when Latin America got under my skin and stayed. Brazil made a huge impression on me at all levels. During that trip in 1976, I asked myself " how does Brazilian culture, which is gasping under a military dictatorship, seem to feel more free and alive than North America?" The smells on the street, the color, the the religion; everything was more intense, vibrant and alive than my home in Toronto. It was the start of my long relationship with Latin America.
My early influences as a photographer were August Sander, Robert Doisneau, Eugene Smith, Sebastiao Salgado and Manuel Alvarez Bravo to name a but few. Rio Branco's photo essays on Salvador, Brazil also touched me profoundly. Deep gratitude to these and the many other latin america influences that stream through my life and work.
Some things seem destined to happen. In grade school I pored over accounts of explorations into the Amazon, the Andes, and to the 'ends of the earth' in Tierra del Fuego. Stories of these places fascinated me, firing my imagination and led me to my first trip to Brazil in 1976. That's when Latin America got under my skin and stayed. Brazil made a huge impression on me at all levels. During that trip in 1976, I asked myself " how does Brazilian culture, which is gasping under a military dictatorship, seem to feel more free and alive than North America?" The smells on the street, the color, the the religion; everything was more intense, vibrant and alive than my home in Toronto. It was the start of my long relationship with Latin America.
My early influences as a photographer were August Sander, Robert Doisneau, Eugene Smith, Sebastiao Salgado and Manuel Alvarez Bravo to name a but few. Rio Branco's photo essays on Salvador, Brazil also touched me profoundly. Deep gratitude to these and the many other latin america influences that stream through my life and work.
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31 imagesBrazil was the first place I visited outside of North America: that visit was for me both a shock and a delight. The poverty was shocking and the raw vibrancy of the culture was a delight. I was hooked by Latin America, a place of contradictions that i've returned to visit and photograph many times. These photographs were made on Tri-X film, hence their depth and tonal richness. Although I still offer them as traditional gelatin silver archival prints made by me in the darkroom, I've also used an Imacon scanner to create the highest quality digital files from which I make archival inkjet prints. -
23 imagesMy Spanish lessons didn't help a bit when the first Cuban I met spoke to me. Like so many things Cuban, it's Spanish is a unique form born from adapting to a unique set of circumstances. Even though Cuba has existed in a time bubble since the revolution, that bubble is about to burst. I love the indomitable spirit and resourcefulness of the Cuban people who also happen to be some of the best dancers I've ever seen. That and the music are aspects of the culture that help most of the people get through the challenges and privation they face daily. Although I have a full portfolio of colour images made in Cuba, it's these black and white photographs that really touch me. I stayed in Habana for two weeks before moving on to Costa Rica and El Salvador. Unlike other places I've worked in Latin America, it was completely safe to walk the streets of Habana with equipment. -
26 imagesEcuador is a land of maximum diversity packed into minimal space. One can travel from the Galapagos, to the Coast, to the Sierras and into the Amazon all in a day if one wished. The people are also very diverse; from the Amazonian Quechua, to the keepers of the Andes, and the peoples of the Coast, uniqueness rules. I fell in love with Ecuador the first time I visited in 1989 and have been returning ever since. These are a few of the images that resulted from travels in this land of the Equator…..this land of the Volcanoes. -
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17 imagesMexico holds a special place in my heart - every time I've been there the people have treated me with courtesy and respect. Mexico also has a strong relationship with photography and some of my biggest influences are Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Pedro Meyer, and Marco Cruz. So when I'm there, I enter into their sphere of influence, which is one of poetic realism or surrealism….a combination of the awesome everyday miracles of life combined with it's, sometimes, harsh realities.