The World’s Most Important Photographer
A bamboo hut designed by Colombian architect Simòn Vélez sits in the middle of the most commercial quarter of Paris. Inside is a collection of photographs by Salgado joined by the theme of water, the most precious fluid on earth. They are art of the highest order, shockingly beautiful. They are an appeal to the world’s conscience and they are a wake-up call.
At the age of seventy-eight, Salgado continues to travel the world, bringing light to earth’s most remote locations, calling attention to the fragility of our ecosystem and the responsibility of humanity to preserve the natural world and the indigenous communities threatened by encroaching industrialization. His photographs are gray scale (black and white), because color would make them pretty. They’re not, but they are beautiful. And frightening. And informative. And most of all, powerful.
This is photography at its best: beautiful images that strongly convey an unambiguous message. Living on this planet is a privilege, and if we are to continue we have the responsibility of stewardship. We cannot continue to exploit resources without replacing them. We cannot continue heating our homes and powering our vehicles with the fossil fuels that are destroying the atmosphere. And we cannot continue to support and accommodate corrupt politicians who profit by wielding power over beneficial legislation. I’m looking at you, Joe Manchin.
Salgado and his wife Lelia, a Brazilian writer, have devoted their lives to this call for action, and taken their commitment beyond photography with the creation of an NGO to revive the forested land owned by their family.
“ Our non-profit organization, Instituto Terra, has planted more than 2.7 million trees belonging to more than 300 endemic species. […] The return of this tropical microclimate has attracted birds and animals that have not been observed there for several decades.” – Sebastião Salgado
If you’re in Paris before September 22, see this exhibit. If not, buy one of his extraordinary books. Then pour yourself a glass of water and think about how lucky you are.
©2022 Ron Scherl
Nice article.
Thank you Ron. How I wish I was going back to France before the 22nd. Salgado has been my favorite photographer for decades, ever since I caught an exhibition of his images showing the realities of mining in Brazil and elsewhere. Stunning and tragic; so powerful that they left me breathless.
I once accompanied a friend of mine to Southampton, NY, where she was taking measurements for curtains she would craft for one of those extraordinary houses that dot the Hamptons. I wandered around in awe of the sheer luxury and beauty of the place, but the only thing that really got my green-eyed-monster riled up were the Salgado prints hanging throughout the house. Rooms full of them.
But then — the twisted irony of these images of back-breaking toil and human despair adorning the dining room walls of a house worth the lifetime incomes of hundreds of thousands of the subjects of his photos… And so once again, on a different level, the artist’s message hit home.
Thanks for writing about this. (And just so you know, you are my SECOND favourite photographer!)
Hi Ron,
I am a little late in catching this.
Salgado is probably my favorite photographer, too. He is driven by a mission, and the world needs more Salgados.
All the best, Ron!