I'm definitely inspired by Frida Kahlo's work, but she is an artist that I am somewhat familiar with so I decided to find an artist that I wasn't so familiar with. Upon searching for Latin American artists, I came across Pedro Reinaldo Alvarez Castello. When researching Cuba's "Special Period," I came across another artist, Ernesto Bazán. Bazán is an extraordinary photographer who spent many years in Cuba documenting the times during which the country was experiencing some of the worst economic crises they had ever seen. His photographs document those times through present day, and the series of photographs show the transformation of Cuban life. Bazán grew up in Italy and from a very young age developed an interest in photography. As an author and photographer, Bazán's work has been in exhibitions in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Not only is he an author and photography, Bazån has a passion for teaching. He uses that passion to teach students in many different types of workshops, and in one particular case, in Oaxaca, Mexico, he teaches a workshop during El Día de los Muertos, a celebration Bazán truly embraces because of the relations between life and death. In the photos taken during the workshop I found some of my favorites by Bazán. Here they are.
I think these photos really stood out to me because I, like Bazán, am very interested in the relationship of the living and the deceased. I would love so much to experience the Day of the Dead, and through these photos I can do that. I can see the homage that is being paid to the deceased, and the living are rejoicing because of the ability to celebrate the lives of the ones who have passed on. These photos show the importance of culture and tradition in Mexican society. I can see through the masks and candles that there is great importance placed on the participation in this event. It gives the viewer a look into a celebration that so few outside of Mexico really get to be a part of.
As with Bazán's other projects, the viewer can see and be a part of something and feel connected to the subject in the photo. The photos from the Special period are heartbreaking, and it really involves the viewer by showing them that these kind of events DO happen and that transformations in a country can be seen through photojournalism.
I received these images from Bazán's website, http://www.bazanphotos.com/projects/
