{"id":25502,"date":"2015-11-24T11:19:26","date_gmt":"2015-11-24T14:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=25502"},"modified":"2022-10-18T18:49:58","modified_gmt":"2022-10-18T21:49:58","slug":"imagens-do-povo-photography-collective-part-2-archivist-documentarians-images-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=25502","title":{"rendered":"‘Imagens do Povo’ Photography Collective Part 2: Archivist-Documentarians [IMAGES]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

This is the second\u00a0in a three-part series<\/a> on the Imagens do Povo<\/a> photography collective.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the greatest lesson of a documentarian is to be a link of sympathy\u00a0between yourself, the person you photograph, and the person\u00a0who receives the picture.”<\/span>\u00a0– Brazilian photo-documentarist\u00a0<\/a>Jo\u00e3o Roberto Ripper<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Based in Mar\u00e9<\/a> in Rio’s North Zone<\/a>, the <\/span>Imagens do Povo<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(Images of the People) photography collective and school for popular photographers\u00a0prioritizes the idea of practicing photography as “an act of fellowship.”\u00a0While the first article<\/a> in this series highlighted\u00a0‘activist-reporter’ photographers, this article features ‘archivist-documentarian’ photographers who focus on the preservation of memory<\/a> and celebration of everyday life, examining the daily and festive events of the community with less regard to extraordinary disturbances such as mega-events<\/a> and army occupation<\/a>. Despite this proposed categorization of the photographers, traits of the ‘activist-reporter’ and ‘archivist-documentarian’ approaches can usually both be found in each\u00a0photographer’s works.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Archivist-Documentarians:\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Paulo Barros<\/b><\/h4>\n
\"Paulo<\/a>
Meeting of Favela 8 \u2013 one of the world’s biggest graffiti events, at Vila Oper\u00e1ria, Duque de Caxias, which featured a mutir\u00e3o<\/em> (day of collective action) by hundreds of artists. Photo by Paulo Barros, December 1, 2013.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mar\u00e9 photographer and filmmaker Paulo Barros graduated from Imagens do Povo’s School for Popular Photographers<\/a> in 2009 and the\u00a0Photography Educators program\u00a0<\/span>in 2010. He documents the rock music scene of Mar\u00e9, producing videos and following tours of bands from Mar\u00e9 such as\u00a0<\/span>Canto Cego<\/a><\/span> and Banda Algoz<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/span>as well as\u00a0<\/span>international bands. <\/span>Barros’ works were featured in the <\/span>Ca\u00e7adores de Sonhos<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0(Dream Hunters)\u00a0exhibition, the inaugural show\u00a0at Mar\u00e9’s permanent art space Galeria 535<\/a>. He’s also a member of the Favela em Foco<\/a> collective.<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagens do Povo taught Barros\u00a0\u201cas much about ethical and political issues as about photography,\u201d he\u00a0states\u00a0in a interview. \u201cPhotography can also serve to expose what\u2019s good about [favelas]<\/a>, not just the violence<\/a>\u00a0and the [drug] traffic<\/a>\u00a0that we\u2019re tired of seeing.\u201d Barros has high regard for\u00a0\u201cthe political role, the most engaged part of human photography,\u201d which he sees as \u201cthinking critically\u201d about favelas and denouncing issues. But of his own work, he explains he \u201c[does] this a bit differently, more focused on the art itself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Both his Flickr<\/a> and personal<\/a><\/span>\u00a0portfolios<\/a> prominently feature music, art and urban sports\u2014including BMX, skateboarding, graffiti, and break-dancing, among others\u2014together with\u00a0coverage of\u00a0daily life and social events. Barros documents \u201cgraffiti along with other hip-hop elements,\u201d as well as \u201csomething very specific to Mar\u00e9, which is its rock music.\u201d Whereas dominant portrayals of favela culture<\/a> only feature funk<\/a>, pagode<\/a> and samba<\/a>, in Mar\u00e9 \u201cone can find a completely different reality,\u201d Barros affirms. \u201cThere\u2019s immense diversity, plenty of artists in all areas, and many, many musicians playing rock.\u201d His work isn\u2019t just about \u201caccompanying art and culture in Mar\u00e9, giving support [by] taking pictures at shows and disseminating,\u201d but it’s also about\u00a0building and celebrating \u201cnetworks, with everyone being friendly and supportive, chasing after [each other] with talent, struggling, making things happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out Paulo Barros’ work on Flickr<\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Paulo<\/a>
Algoz rock band opening the concert of country-core band Matanza in Duque de Caxias. Photo by Paulo Barros, March 28, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Monara Barreto<\/b><\/h4>\n
\"Monara<\/a>
Carnival bloco dedicated to sambista Paulinho da Viola. Photo by Monara Barreto, February 8, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A resident of\u00a0Complexo do Alem\u00e3o<\/a>, Monara Barreto graduated from the School for Popular Photographers in 2009 and currently manages Imagens do Povo\u2019s database<\/a> while studying Library Studies at Rio’s Federal University (UFRJ). From 2008 to 2009, Barreto\u00a0took part in\u00a0the workshop, \u2018PAC Memories<\/a>,\u2019 which documented the outcomes of the Growth Acceleration Program<\/a>\u00a0(PAC)<\/span>\u00a0in Alem\u00e3o favelas.\u00a0She\u2019s also part of the Favela em Foco collective.<\/span><\/p>\n

Barreto\u00a0explains that she is motivated by her \u201cinterest in organizing memory, and in preserving the memory of not only Mar\u00e9, but all spaces.” The Imagens do Povo database she manages is “quite specific. It focuses on popular spaces and festivities. It’s a type of archive that many image databases don\u2019t have\u2014it has access to many different places, records their images and brings them to an audience.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

As a resident, she’s aware of the stigmatization<\/a> of favelas by the mass media<\/a> and was always\u00a0asking: \u201cwhy aren\u2019t the other sides of favelas shown?\u201d\u00a0She has documented\u00a0Rio\u2019s North Zone<\/span> graffiti<\/a> scene, always with the aim\u00a0\u201cto show the side [outsiders] aren\u2019t used to knowing.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0She believes favelas and popular spaces are “not integrated parts of the city, but still part of the city.\u201d Through photography she deals with the historical inequalities<\/a> and challenges media that still \u201cseparate favelas from the city.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out Monara Barreto’s work on Flickr<\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Monara<\/a>
Graffiti artist Bruno Smoky from the Brasil\u00e2ndia favela in S\u00e3o Paulo contributes to artwork in Mar\u00e9\u2019s newest\u00a0favela. Photo by Monara Barreto, March 14, 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rat\u00e3o Diniz<\/b><\/h4>\n
\"Rat\u00e3o<\/a>
Member of the traveling Carro\u00e7a de Mamulengos troupe of actors, musicians, story-tellers and clowns. Photo by Rat\u00e3o Diniz, December 4, 2010.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rat\u00e3o Diniz trained at\u00a0the\u00a0School for Popular Photographers and is also a member of the Favela em Foco collective<\/span>. Since 2007 he has worked on the\u00a0<\/span>Revelando os Brasis<\/a><\/span><\/i>\u00a0(Revealing the Brazils) project for the Ministry of Culture. His first photography book, <\/span>Em Foto<\/a><\/span><\/i>\u00a0(In Pictures), is a collection of<\/span>\u00a0images, testimonials, interviews and reports from places, people and events throughout Brazil.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview Rat\u00e3o expressed that he is intensely\u00a0determined\u00a0to \u201ctake pictures, get to know places and people, tell [their] stories, making something that would contribute to society in some way.\u201d He likes “thinking of photography as a cultural and political activity, rather than work.” His photography may have a political component, but he says\u00a0\u201cit\u2019s not a denouncement, or let\u2019s say that it is… but it’s a denouncement by showing the beauty, the beauty of favelas!\u201d Showing beauty, happiness and good-will regardless of social or geographical context is the key to countering stigma<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/i>I consider myself a\u00a0<\/span>favelado <\/span><\/em>since the ‘favela’ is a plant from the Bahian <\/span>sert\u00e3o <\/span>(rural hinterland), which resists the intense\u00a0cold and heat of that\u00a0area. So, my friend, just like that plant, I believe I resist the climatic diversity of being a human\u00a0and the climatic diversity of the environment. This diversity is so complex! We are\u2014we have to be\u2014favelados<\/em> to live in the madness that is the contradictions of our lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

According to Rat\u00e3o,\u00a0\u201cphotography only strengthens\u00a0the [favela] identify.\u201d As a result, Rat\u00e3o “never denied his origins, his history,” but has revered them and used them in the fight against discriminations and bias.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out Rat\u00e3o Diniz’s work on Flickr<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Rat\u00e3o<\/a>
The Carnival \u201cMud Block\u201d in which people traditionally wear black mud, bone masks and costumes. Photo by Rat\u00e3o Diniz, February 9, 2013.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Francisco Valdean<\/b><\/h4>\n
\"Francisco<\/a>
Youth in Timbau<\/a>, Mar\u00e9. Photo by Francisco Valdean.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among the first generation of Imagens do Povo photographers, Francisco Valdean graduated from the School for Popular Photographers in 2004 and is currently an art educator and blogger with a Social Science degree. He also coordinates Imagens do Povo\u2019s image\u00a0database<\/a> and gives classes on web content production. Since 2007, he has posted pictures and texts about cities, especially Rio\u2019s favelas, on his blog <\/span>O Cotidiano<\/a><\/span><\/i>\u00a0(The Everyday).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the issue of [army] occupation<\/a>\u00a0[in Mar\u00e9] arose, a friend proposed we organize some activities,” Valdean recalls\u00a0in an interview. \u201cSo I replied: \u2018Honestly, I think\u2026 I\u2019d really like to ignore it!\u2019\u201d He has always “maintained that the favela is not ‘another city,’ it’s also part of the city.” Therefore, he decided not to \u201close time over\u00a0this damned militarization,\u201d explaining: “I almost despise this reality, so I decided not to document any of it.” To document this militarization of space would be to “enter the area of photojournalism,\u201d which he believes inherently approaches the favela from the point of view of “violence and catastrophe<\/a>, always in those moments when everyday life<\/span>\u00a0is interrupted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, the occupation of Mar\u00e9 by the army \u201cwasn\u2019t a total rupture.” Valdean believes the favelas’ \u201c<\/span>most pulsating life didn\u2019t change!\u201d He works to\u00a0fill the gap of \u201c130 years of visual memory lacking cultural activities and celebrations,\u201d\u00a0which has\u00a0\u201c[ignored] an important part of life in favelas.\u201d Above all, Valdean seeks to capture\u00a0\u201clife in its most complex and complete moments.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out Francisco Valdean’s work on Flickr<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Francisco<\/a>
Resident of Baixa do Sapateiro<\/a>, Mar\u00e9, 75-year-old Iracema. Photo by Francisco Valdean, July 29, 2004.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Andrea Cangialosi holds\u00a0an International Masters in Sociology from the universities of Freiburg, Buenos Aires and Bangkok. This series is based on his research as a reporter for RioOnWatch<\/a> and fieldwork for his thesis Vida Pulsante<\/a>: Rio\u2019s Mega-Events Footprints, Oppressions and Resistances in Mar\u00e9 Favelas as Pictured by Imagens do Povo Photographers<\/a><\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas This is the second\u00a0in a three-part series on the Imagens do Povo photography collective.\u00a0 \u201cI think the greatest lesson of a documentarian is to be a link of sympathy\u00a0between yourself, the […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":24556,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1294,1288,1268,1271,1284,1332,329,1329],"tags":[1448,1361,1162,1144,219,280,32,694,221,1501,205,1650,1900,1143,457,1370,37,1292,420,2634,1953,453,1882],"writer":[1398],"translator":[],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-25502","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-communitymedia","8":"category-highlight","9":"category-favelaculture","10":"category-favelaqualities","11":"category-interviews-profiles","12":"category-photo-essays","13":"category-solutions","14":"category-by-international-observers","15":"tag-favelasareassets","16":"tag-endfavelastigma","17":"tag-army-occupation","18":"tag-baixa-do-sapateiro","19":"tag-collective-action","20":"tag-complexo-da-mare","21":"tag-complexo-do-alemao","22":"tag-duque-de-caxias","23":"tag-favela-culture","24":"tag-community-media-favela-em-foco","25":"tag-growth-acceleration-program-pac","26":"tag-imagens-do-povo","27":"tag-media-narrative","28":"tag-morro-do-timbau","29":"tag-graffiti","30":"tag-music","31":"tag-north-zone","32":"tag-organizing","33":"tag-carnival","34":"tag-series","35":"tag-series-imagens-do-povo","36":"tag-stigma","37":"tag-vila-operaria","38":"writer-andrea-cangialosi"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25502\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25502"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=25502"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=25502"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=25502"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=25502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}