The War Between Salgado and Sischy: Not so Black and White J E NI F E R E DA M E NE Z ES
Between 1984 to 1985, the Sahel region of Africa experienced a massive drought, during which approximately one million victims died from malnutrition and related causes. Documenting this tragedy for fifteen months was Sebastião Salgado, a recognized Brazilian photographer whose style consists of beautiful, dramatic black-and-white photos. Eduardo Galeano, a journalist, stated that Salgado’s work dignifies his subjects, describing how it “is a poetry of horror because there is a sense of honor” (8). In other words, the viewer is able to see these victims as equals when they are shown in a beautiful way. Furthermore, Fred Ritchen, an editor for The New York Times Magazine, also agrees with Galeano, saying that “People living in disastrous circumstances can be…as beautiful as anyone else” (Galeano). On the other hand, one of the most vocal critics of Salgado, Ingrid Sischy, disagrees with their approach. She states that Salgado’s photographic techniques are “far too busy with…finding the “grace” and “beauty” in the twisted forms of anguished subjects” (92). This is a problem for Sischy because it can ultimately result in anesthetizing the feelings of the viewers (92). It is true that beauty is a focal point in Salgado’s work and that his fame has undeniably come from his ability to take appealing photos. However, what Sischy fails to grasp is that Salgado’s preoccupation with aestheticizing his images does not detract from their meaning but rather acts as a gateway to new audiences by making them more palatable, which is a crucial step forward in helping the Sahel famine victims. An important component in Sischy’s critique of Salgado’s photographs is the claim that he “negates the revulsion that can take over when disease or hunger is on display,” which can in turn, “result in pictures that ultimately reinforce our passivity” (92). What Sischy is effectively arguing is that when beauty is incorporated in photographs that represent suffering, it makes it easier for viewers to digest the content presented, but also has the effect of taking away from the main message. Consider for instance, Salgado’s
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EXIT 11
