Genesis | Sebastião Salgado
Genesis
Sebastião Salgado completed the epic ‘Genesis” project in 2012. The full body of work consists of hundreds of images taken over an 8 years period, across 32 countries. With ‘Genesis’, Salgado set out to document the few areas of the planet that remain untouched by modern man. ‘In Genesis, my camera allowed nature to speak to me. And it was my privilege to listen’
His message is that we have strayed too far from our origins, that instead of co-existing with nature we have become disconnected and somewhat exploitative in our approach.
The project documents epic landscapes and incredible wildlife as well as the humans that live in these pristine environments.
Paul and Max Caffell from 31 studio have spent years mastering the traditional, platinum print process. Their aim was to recover a photographic process that had been hugely important at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.
Paul spent many years learning the process virtually from scratch on his own. ‘I was retracing the original steps in the development of the process, getting a very real insight into what the process was capable of ‘.
Platinum’s infinite tonal range and ability to reveal subtle details is ideally suited to Salgado’s ‘Genesis’ project. There is a wonderful sense of composition and light in Salgado’s work. His photographs reveal an inviting intimacy that rewards time and close attention to detail.