Sebastiao Salgado. Gold

The famous Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado captured the dramatic scenes of the gold rush in Serra Pelada, a remote hilltop on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. The mine, which employed tens of thousands of diggers in appalling conditions, was the largest open-air gold mine in the world until it was closed in 1985. Salgado's photographs, which were taken in black and white, marked a return to the grace of monochrome photography and were completely silent when they reached the New York Times Magazine. The book "Serra Pelada" gathers Salgado's complete portfolio in museum-quality reproductions, accompanied by a foreword by the photographer and an essay by Alan Riding. Instituto Terra, founded by Lélia Wanick Salgado and Sebastião Salgado, is a nonprofit organization that performs a miraculous reforestation of the once infertile region and furthers the Salgados mission of reversing the damage done to our planet.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 27 February 2022
Publisher: Taschen GmbH

When Sebastião Salgado was finally authorized to visit Serra Pelada in September 1986, having been blocked for six years by Brazil's military authorities, he was ill-prepared to take in the extraordinary spectacle that awaited him on this remote hilltop on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. Before him opened a vast hole, some 200 meters wide and deep, teeming with tens of thousands of barely-clothed men. Half of them carried sacks weighing up to 40 kilograms up wooden ladders, the others leaping down muddy slopes back into the cavernous maw. Their bodies and faces were the color of ochre, stained by the iron ore in the earth they had excavated.

After gold was discovered in one of its streams in 1979, Serra Pelada evoked the long-promised El Dorado as the world's largest open-air gold mine, employing some 50,000 diggers in appalling conditions. Today, Brazil's wildest gold rush is merely the stuff of legend, kept alive by a few happy memories, many pained regrets—and Sebastião Salgado's photographs.

Color dominated the glossy pages of magazines when Salgado shot these images. Black and white was a risky path, but the Serra Pelada portfolio would mark a return to the grace of monochrome photography, following a tradition whose masters, from Edward Weston and Brassaï to Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson, had defined the early and mid-20th century. When Salgado's images reached The New York Times Magazine, something extraordinary happened: there was complete silence. "In my entire career at The New York Times," recalled photo editor Peter Howe, "I never saw editors re.

The Serra Pelada photographs were a turning point in Sebastião Salgado's career. They marked a return to the monochrome style that he had mastered in his early years, and they brought him international recognition. The photographs were also a powerful commentary on the human condition, particularly the plight of the poor and marginalized.

The photographs were taken during a period of great social and political unrest in Brazil. The country was experiencing a deep economic crisis, and many people were living in poverty and desperation. The gold rush at Serra Pelada was a response to this crisis, as people sought to find a way to make a living and escape the harsh realities of their lives.

The photographs also captured the physical and emotional toll that the gold rush took on the diggers. The men were working in extreme conditions, often without proper equipment or safety measures. They were exposed to dangerous chemicals and heavy machinery, and they were often injured or killed in accidents.

Despite the challenges and dangers of the gold rush, the photographs also revealed the resilience and determination of the diggers. They were a community of men who had come together to achieve a common goal, and they were willing to do whatever it took to succeed.

The Serra Pelada photographs have had a lasting impact on the world of photography and on the human condition. They have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, and they have inspired countless artists and photographers. They have also been used as a tool for social and political activism, as they have raised awareness about the plight of the poor and marginalized.

In conclusion, the Serra Pelada photographs are a powerful and evocative collection of images that capture the human condition in all its complexity and suffering. They are a testament to the resilience and determination of the human spirit, and they have left a lasting impact on the world of photography and on the human condition.

Weight: 2256g
Dimension: 333 x 256 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783836575089
Edition number: Multilingual ed