Sebastião Salgado
Sebastião Salgado: A Life of Vision and Activism
Full Name and Common Aliases
Sebastião Salgado is a renowned Brazilian photographer and economist, known for his powerful and poignant images that document the human condition.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on November 8, 1944, in Aimorés, Brazil, Sebastião Salgado continues to be active in his work at the age of 78.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Brazilian by birth, Salgado is a photographer, economist, and former United Nations official. His work spans multiple fields, from photography and documentary filmmaking to international development and human rights advocacy.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Brazil's Minas Gerais state, Salgado developed an early interest in social justice and the struggles of working-class people. He studied economics at the University of São Paulo and later earned a master's degree in economics from the Paris School of Economics. Before dedicating himself to photography full-time, Salgado worked as an economist for the World Bank and the International Labour Organization.
Major Accomplishments
Salgado's photographic career began in 1973, when he started working with his brother, Lélia Salgado, a photographer in her own right. Together, they traveled extensively throughout Brazil, documenting the lives of peasants and workers. His work soon gained international recognition, earning him numerous awards and distinctions, including:
The W. Eugene Smith Grant for Humanistic Photography (1983)
The Hasselblad Award (2002)
The Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences (2016)Notable Works or Actions
Some of Salgado's most notable works include:
Migrations (2000): A photographic series documenting the plight of migrant workers around the world.
Amazon (1986-1999): A decade-long project showcasing the beauty and fragility of the Amazon rainforest.
_The Weight of Memory_ (2007): A photographic essay chronicling the lives of indigenous people in Brazil's Amazonas state.
Impact and Legacy
Sebastião Salgado's work has had a profound impact on how we understand and interact with the world. Through his photographs, he humanizes the struggles of marginalized communities, challenging viewers to consider the consequences of globalization and environmental degradation. His advocacy for social justice and human rights has inspired countless individuals around the globe.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Sebastião Salgado's influence extends far beyond his photographic work. He is widely recognized as a leading voice on issues related to poverty, inequality, and environmental sustainability. His quotes and writings are frequently cited in publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Le Monde.
In 2014, Salgado published _L'Uomo Contro la Natura_ (Man Against Nature), an accompanying book to his photographic series on the Amazon rainforest. This work cemented his position as a leading photographer and advocate for environmental protection.
Today, Sebastião Salgado continues to travel and document the world's most pressing issues, using his camera as a tool for social change. His commitment to human rights and environmental sustainability has inspired generations of artists, activists, and policymakers worldwide.
Quotes by Sebastião Salgado
Sebastião Salgado's insights on:
Of course I will continue photography. I love photography. But when you become old, it’s too much.
The language that photography has is a formal language. Any photographer is doing something formal. If it’s formal, then it must be an aesthetic way to communicate.
I discovered photography completely by chance. My wife is an architect; when we were young and living in Paris, she bought a camera to take pictures of buildings. For the first time, I looked through a lens – and photography immediately started to invade my life.
I can be an artist a posteriori, not a priori. If my pictures tell the story, our story, human story, then in a hundred years, then they can be considered an art reference, but now they are not made as art. I’m a journalist. My life’s on the road, my studio is the planet.
There are moments that you suffer a lot, moments you won’t photograph. There are some people you like better than others. But you give, you receive, you cherish, you are there. When you are really there, you know when you see the picture later what you are seeing.
I don’t believe a person has a style. What people have is a way of photographing what is inside them. What is there comes out.
As in any person’s life, there have been difficult moments: I have a son with Down’s syndrome; through my photography, I have witnessed all manner of human degradation. But there have also been very happy moments.
I discovered that close to half the planet is ‘pristine.’ We live in towns such as London, Paris or Sao Paulo and have the impression that all the pristine areas are gone, but they are not.
Most of the information we now get is through television and is mutilated. Photography offers the opportunity to spend much more time on a topic. It’s relatively cheaper medium, and can allow a photographer really to live in another place, show another reality, get closer to the truth.