Customer Reviews

Sebastiao Salgado: The Children

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Salgado shows us what war, poverty, and disaster does to the innocent. He has captured faces of children, who through some cruel fate have reaped only hardship in short time on earth. Yet, despite conditions of despair, some of these children manage a smile, a look of hope, and an attitude that defies their situation.

No words or captions are attached to the photos, rather Salgado lets each child convey their own message to you through their portrait. He brilliantly uses black & white film to heighten the intensity of each face, a face that looks you right in the eye and I swear, talks to you. If you want to know more about each photo an appendix is provide with date/place.

This is book that will stay in my collection, as it should, it is brilliantly done! "Children, Refugees and Migrants" desires to be prominently displayed in my house and it will be. Highly recommended

Look at the hands, expressions and in the eyes of those children. Now, try to understand why Mr. Salgado took those pictures. When Mr. Salgado arrived in the refugee camps, a lot of children became curious about his job, about the equipment and so on. Then, Mr. Salgado took those pictures to avoid that a lot of small eyes follow him during all the time. But, the quality of those pictures are so good, that when those forgotten rolls were developed, he could see that those eyes, hands and expressions could tell a different story. As a Brazilian I am very proud of Mr. Salgado and his work. Suggestion: Migrations and Children have a exposition that will be in 19 countries around the world. Try to see those expositions. Natural size pics will give you an amazing view.

Sebastiao Salgado has produced many works under the topic of "concerned photography" and this book effectively displays some of these works. The Children compiles a number of photographs of children from around the world living in poverty and under the most destitute conditions imaginable. Upon reading the introduction, the reader is given a background to what Salgado has intended to do with these photographs and what he experienced while taking them. In an instant, the reader is placed in Salgado's shoes with a camera in hand and eye peering through the viewfinder.

From looking at these portraits alone, many questions come to mind: "Who is this kid?" "Where does he/she live?" "How old is he/she?" "What does the future have for them?" The way Salgado took these portraits yields a story behind each child. Black and white film is used perfectly to display the feeling of passion and intensity. It is amazing to see some of these children smile despite their living conditions. It gives a sense of hope for both viewer and subject. The look on their faces and the stare of their eyes creates a great feeling of sympathy for anyone who chooses to view the photographs. This is exactly what Salgado wanted to do. "We cannot afford to turn away."

Salgado shows us the children who reside in Refugee Camps around the world, children who have witnessed and/or been victimized by mankind's inhumanity; and what stands out superbly is the inherent human dignity of earth's children -EVEN THESE! As Jesus said about children: "such as these are of the kingdom of heaven. Fine photographic rapport and capture of these human people. Heartwrenching to some of us.

These stunning portraits of displaced and refugee children are dismaying. They provoke an immediate response: grief, and then - one hopes - an immediate check in the mail to "Doctors without Borders" or a comparable international relief organization. What seems strange and distressing, however, is the intentional namelessness of each child. Each startling and heartbreaking portrait is captionless. Maybe Salgado believed them to be more effective, that way. You check the terse notes at the back of the book. The subject, in this case a boy missing an arm, stares forthrightly as the photogrpapher. He is identified as (for example): "38. The Natinga School Camp for displaced Sudanese. Southern Sudan, 1995." This Euro-bureaucratese is followed through-out. Each child is unnamed by the author, and this is a failing of this book, and one which serves to reinforce the initial crimes committed against these young people.

I know all the Salgado's books but after so many years from his last project I was waiting for something new and more challenging it's always the same soup!