num_pages: 517
description: In Genesis my camera allowed nature to speak to me. And it was my privilege to listen. Sebastio Salgado On a very fortuitous day in 1970 26-year-old Sebastio Salgado held a camera for the first time. When he looked through the viewfinder he experienced a revelation: suddenly life made sense. From that day onwardthough it took years of hard work before he had the experience to earn his living as a photographerthe camera became his tool for interacting with our world. Salgado who always preferred the chiaroscuro palette of black-and-white images shot very little color in his early career before giving it up completely. Raised on a farm in Brazil Salgado possessed a deep love and respect for nature; he was also particularly sensitive to the ways in which human beings are affected by their often devastating socio-economic conditions. Of the myriad works Salgado has produced in his acclaimed career three long-term projects stand out: Workers (1993) documenting the vanishing way of life of manual laborers across the world Migrations (2000) a tribute to mass migration driven by hunger natural disasters environmental degradation and demographic pressure and this new opus Genesis the result of an epic eight-year expedition to rediscover the mountains deserts and oceans the animals and peoples that have so far escaped the imprint of modern societythe land and life of a still-pristine planet. Some 46% of the planet is still as it was in the time of genesis Salgado reminds us. We must preserve what exists. The Genesis project along with the Salgados Instituto Terra are dedicated to showing the beauty of our planet reversing the damage done to it and preserving it for the future. Over 30 tripstravelled by foot light aircraft seagoing vessels canoes and even balloons through extreme heat and cold and in sometimes dangerous conditionsSalgado created a collection of images showing us nature animals and indigenous peoples in breathtaking beauty. Mastering the monochrome with an extreme deftness to rival the virtuoso Ansel Adams Salgado brings black-and-white photography to a new dimension; the tonal variations in his works the contrasts of light and dark recall the works of Old Masters such as Rembrandt and Georges de La Tour. What does one discover in Genesis? The animal species and volcanoes of the Galpagos; penguins sea lions cormorants and whales of the Antarctic and South Atlantic; Brazilian alligators and jaguars; African lions leopards and elephants; the isolated Zo tribe deep in the Amazon jungle; the Stone Age Korowai people of West Papua; nomadic Dinka cattle farmers in Sudan; Nenet nomads and their reindeer herds in the Arctic Circle; Mentawai jungle communities on islands west of Sumatra; the icebergs of the Antarctic; the volcanoes of Central Africa and the Kamchatka Peninsula; Saharan deserts; the Negro and Juru rivers in the Amazon; the ravines of the Grand Canyon; the glaciers of Alaska... and beyond. Having dedicated so much time energy and passion to the making of this work Salgado likens Genesis to my love letter to the planet. Whereas the limited Collectors Edition is conceived like a large-format portfolio that meanders across the planet this unlimited book presents a selection of photographs arranged in five chapters geographically: Planet South Sanctuaries Africa Northern Spaces Amazonia and Pantanal. Each in its own way this book and the Collectors editionboth edited and designed by Llia Wanick Salgadopay homage to Salgados triumphant and unparalleled Genesis project.The world premiere of Sebastio Salgado: Genesis will open at the Natural History Museum in London on April 11 2013. The exhibition builds on the Museums reputation as the home of the planets best nature photography. For further information and to book tickets please go to www.nhm.ac.uk/salgado. Additionally from May 14th a special portfolio of plantinum prints from Genesis will be shown at Phillips Howick Place gallery in London.Worldwide venues for the Genesis exhibition:The Natural History Museum London UK - April 11 through September 8 2013 The Royal Ontario Museum Toronto Canada - May 2 through September 2 2013 Ara Pacis Museum Rome Italy - May 15 through September 15 2013 Jardim Botnico Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil - May 28 through August 25 2013 Muse de lElyse Lausanne Switzerland - September 21 2013 through January 12 2014 La Maison Europenne de la Photographie (MEP) Paris France - September 25 2013 through January 5 2014 SESC Belenzinho So Paulo SP Brazil - September 9 - November 2013
language: English
title: Genesis
publisher: Taschen America Llc