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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2015)
May 6, 2015 Page 13 $UWV ENTERTAINMENT Journey Humanity into C ONTINUED FROM P AGE 9 in front of a screen, looking at the photographs and answering ques- tions about them, with the camera EHKLQGWKHVFUHHQ¿OPLQJWKURXJK the photographs, via a semi-trans- parent mirror. The effect is pro- found, conveying a sense of Sal- gado reliving his experiences of capturing the images. Often he is quite moved as he describes the humanity of his subjects; we see that he is an artist but also a seek- er, whose photographic images arise from a true ministry of pres- ence with his subjects. Salgado’s work has famously been criticized by Susan Sontag and others for conveying the pain of others with a beauty that dulls WKH FRQVFLHQFH DQG WKH ¿OP KDV been criticized for not examining Salgado’s work from that more crit- ical lens. I didn’t miss such a per- spective -- and, indeed, I think such criticism misses an answer that is FRQWDLQHGLQWKH¿OPLWVHOI6DOJD- do’s photographs are the product of weeks and sometimes months spent with their subjects, often in countries beset by war or famine or tragedy. The artist creates a re- lationship with the people he pho- tographs that enable him to capture their humanity in a way that would not otherwise be possible. They re- spond to the emotion and empathy which so clearly guide him, and he speaks reverently of them and of a sense that they “give” him the photo. Salgado has indeed become famous for photographing suffer- ing, yet he has equipped himself to offer a voice to those who suffer and to convey what is deeply true and beautiful in their humanity. The fact that many may not have the capacity to absorb the impact of the images is indeed troubling, but cannot be the fault of their beauty. 7KH ¿OP DOVR FDSWXUHV VRPH- thing important about Salgado’s RZQ WUDMHFWRU\ <HDUV RI SKRWR- graphing human misery have taken their toll, and particularly after spending time in Rwanda during the genocide, Salgado ex- perienced a profound depression and stopped working for a time. Around that period, Lelia’s in- spiration and vision prompted the couple to embark on the gargantu- an task of replanting the forest on Salgado’s family’s former ranch. What began as a family project became a massive ecological un- dertaking of successfully plant- PHOTO BY S EBASTIÃO P S ALGADO /A MAZONAS MAGES /S ONY P ICTURES I M C LASSICS 7 7KHKXPDQLW\RISHR- p ple at the margins like th these refugees pushed R RXWRIWKHLU(WKLRSLDQ v villages by war and H H[WUHPHGURXJKWDUH c captured by acclaimed p photographer Se- E EDVWLmR6DOJDGRLQKLV n new documentary ‘Salt R RIWKH(DUWK·6DOJDGR·V c collection of photos IU IURP\HDUVRIZRUN a around the globe make fo for a powerful, spiritual MR MRXUQH\ ing 2.5 million trees, bringing life where there was devastation. The resulting Instituto Terra has become the leading employer in the region, and out of that project, Salgado’s artistic work has moved in the direction of photographing landscapes, wildlife, and human communities that continue to live in accordance with ancestral tradi- tions and cultures. I was struck by the lessons con- tained in the journey of this artist and his family. Compelled by an adventurer’s spirit; by an intense interest in what moves humans to seek, to work, and to destroy; by an artistic gift; and by an inten- tion to observe deeply and empa- thetically, Salgado has created a body of work that challenges us to wrestle with the most profound questions of human existence. It makes sense to me that the trajec- tory of his work through death and devastation has moved him to en- gage in other acts of creation and to explore elemental expressions of life. And it makes sense that all Madcap Odyssey at Milagro Portland’s only Latin-American WKHDWHUSUHVHQWV³$PHULFDQ1LJKW The Ballad of Juan José,” a sharp- eyed and sharp-witted comedy about a Mexican immigrant who dreams of moving to the Land of the Free. Juan José studies fervently for his citizenship test, and his dream transforms into his obses- sion, launching him on a madcap odyssey through American past and present. Nine actors portray dozens of characters ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Joan Baez, exploring stereotypes and truth in this provocative and ir- reverent romp through U.S. his- tory. Written by Richard Montoya of the acclaimed comedy troupe, Culture Clash, and based on the controversial book, A People’s History of the United States by veterans, and groups of over 15. For more information, visit mi- lagro.org. of it contains beauty. Darleen Ortega is a judge on WKH2UHJRQ&RXUWRI$SSHDOVDQG WKH ¿UVW ZRPDQ RI FRORU WR VHUYH in that capacity. Her movie review column Opinionated Judge ap- pears regularly in The Portland Observer. Find her movie blog at opinionatedjudge.blogspot.com. The Law Offices of Patrick John Sweeney, P.C. 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