Growing Up Cristalandia (2008)



These pictures were made during a 2-month visit to the small town of Cristalandia, Brazil. They are the product of a daily interaction with the children I encountered there. The pictures reference the culture that engulfed me as the children led me through their lives at school, at home and in the streets. Despite their realistic appearance, they are not intended to document the town or to analyze the individual people – for the camera cannot record these things accurately.

The pictures are about the local light and color of Cristalandia. The bright orange chairs, bright red curtains and bright green paint combine with the pale blues and yellows of the water-damaged walls. These blend with the rich browns in the skin and in the dirt, tying together people, place and object into a complete spectrum that visually defines the place. This broad color palette is accentuated by the clear tropical light, flattening the surfaces and spaces onto the 2-dimensional picture plane. In terms of this visual language, these are elements unique to Cristalandia – elements that the camera does record well.


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Rua D, Setor Aeroporto