Sebastião Salgado: Kuwait, 1991
Sebastião Salgado is famous for his documentation of the powerless during times of destruction. His images mainly focus on globalization. In this black and white image, there are two firefighters putting out the fire. This image was taken in Kuwait in 1991, so the fire was most likely caused by a bomb. This was during the time of the Gulf War. The firefighters are in a large opened field and there are other fires burning in the distance. The two firefighters look defeated like they are used to putting out these types of fires. The image focuses on the fire, illuminated by the bright whites. All of Salgado’s images are in black and white, pulling the focus away from the colors of the image and towards the message of the image. It also makes the image feel isolated and allows for better detail of the destruction. Salgado said he wanted his photographs to focus “globalization and economic liberalization: a sample of the human condition on the planet today.”
Sundaram Tagore Gallary. “Sebastião Salgado: Kuwait (1991): Available for Sale.” Artsy, www.artsy.net/artwork/sebastiao-salgado-kuwait-1.
“Sebastião Salgado.” Sebastião Salgado – 479 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy, www.artsy.net/artist/sebastiao-salgado.
Robert Capa: FRANCE. 1994. Normandy Invasion
Robert Capa was a Hungarian-American war photographer and is considered to be one of the greatest combat photographers in history. This black and white image was taken in France during the Normandy Invasion. Although the photo is blurry, it is very powerful. The blurry effects of the photo enhance the chaos that was surrounding the soldiers and Capa. He put his own life in danger to photograph the war and share it with the public to keep them informed. Through the blur of the photo, you can see one man on laying on the group preparing to shoot. There are also war vehicles in the background. Other than that, not much is clear in the photo. Capa’s photography was shared with the outside world, allowing them to see what war was actually like. His photos will hold a place in history.
Capa, Robert. “FRANCE. 1944. Normandy Invasion.” Magnum Photos Photographer Portfolio , pro.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=MAGO31_10_VForm&ERID=24KL535353.
The “poor and powerless” “globalizations and economic liberalization” come from a website summary of Salgado’s work. These have to be cited. This particular event was his 1991 documentation of when “Saddam Hussein’s forces set alight oil wells in Kuwait” as Iraqi forces were driven out.