Beauty in Horror

By Gavin Mannino

April 4th, 2022 9:00:00 P.M. EST

Sebastiao Salgado, Spectre of Hope (1994) Photo Source Credit: (London Photography Diary Sebastiao Salgado by Nerris Markogiannis | London Photography Diary (london-photography-diary.com)

The Spectre of Hope in the Sebastiao Salgado's Migrations photographic series caught my eye almost instantly when I was looking through Sebastiao Salgado's work. The way the dust is illuminated into light rays is beautiful from a visual standpoint, but in context of what is happening in the photo, it is saddening. The phrase that pops into my head is, "There is beauty in horror." Sebastiao documented the mass migrations of different people groups over a seven-year time span, taking amazing pictures of ongoing tragedies that have left people to escape their horrors.

The photograph is heavily contrasted as a majority of the photo is hidden in darkness and shadows. The only light source in the photo is natural light, which shines through a crowded opening. The subjects are dimly lit by the limited light source, causing a silhouette-like outline of the subjects. The image gives off a very dreadful and depressing feeling. From the heavy contrast to the saddened emotions on the faces of the children, the photo reminds me of the horrible events that take place in the world I live in.

Having reviewed the other works in the Migrations series, the Spectre of Hope is my favorite image in the series by Sebastiao Salgado. I very much love the use of light and the "extension" of light through the illumination of the dust particles by sun rays. The emotion of the photo is very moody and does not give off the idea of hope, rather hopelessness because of how dark the context of the situation that the subjects are in. Yet, I still find beauty in the image. It seems weird or morbid to say, but I think the composition and the exposure are intriguing. I guess it is human nature to try to find the good in bad things, that is the only way I can explain it. The emotion I feel seems very natural like a phenomenon that I cannot articulate, but only feel. Regardless of my confliction, the work by Salgado is beautiful despite the horror the shows.

Sources (Links):

Sebastião Salgado | Spectre of Hope (1993) | Available for Sale | Artsy

Migrations by Sebastião Salgado | Goodreads

London Photography Diary Sebastiao Salgado by Nerris Markogiannis | London Photography Diary (london-photography-diary.com)

Sebastiao Salgado Photography - Bing images