Sebastião Salgado

Rest In Peace

Sebastião Salgado died this week at the age of 81. He is best known for his striking photographs of suffering and human devastation occurring all across the globe.

My post dated July 14, 2021 details his work as my wife and I had just watched The Salt of the Earth, a 2014 film about his life by his son Juliano and the director Wim Wenders. Connie was more familiar with his photography than me, and we had a lively conversation about the idea of Salgado insinuating himself into these other cultures, whether his work helped the causes of oppressed people, whether the wealthy have a moral responsibility to create awareness and/or use their resources to reduce misery, and on and on. We had no answers as most of these situations are mired in politics along with centuries of religious fanaticism and zealotry.

Besides his photography work Salgado took a break from the cameras whereas he and his wife returned to Brazil, the farmlands in the small town of Aimorés, where he had spent his childhood. Because of deforestation the land was devoid of life so they began a journey to heal the land. A forestry engineer named Renato de Jesus, who worked for the controversial multinational corporation Vale, came on board to help them revive the land. According to Smithsonian Magazine Salgado said, “We are not radicals. We’re not in an ivory tower. We need everybody: companies, governments, mayors. Everybody.”

Also in the Smithsonian article: De Jesus presented a plan to hire some two-dozen workers, who attacked the invasive African grasses by hand and with metal tools. Salgado and Lélia secured a donation of 100,000 seedlings from Vale’s nursery. The Salgados also went to governments and foundations worldwide to secure another key input: money. When the rains returned in 1999, they worked their way up the valley, placing the seedlings roughly ten feet apart, 2,000 trees per hectare. Fig species, long-leafed andá-açu, Brazilian firetrees and other legumes were meant to grow fast and die young. This first phase would provide shade, trap moisture, give shelter to birds and insects—and help heal the soil by restoring depleted nitrogen.

Check out the original post for more information and several photographs of his work.

Also, don’t forget that tomorrow, Sunday, May 25 is the final Sunday Sessions at the Borderlands location at 191 Toole. We’ll play our regular time from 2:30-5, then a potluck with everyone, followed by a comedy show produced by Kevin’s daughter Maria from 7-9pm. Hope to see you!

And now…today’s philosophical cartoon is a repeat of cartoon #72 from July 14, 2021.