Review by Valeria Daw
Background:
Carolina Meneses was raised and born in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. A town, which its socioeconomic inequality, yet diverse, effervescent culture has made an impact into her wanting to become a photographer. After finishing her high school studies, she pursued her dream job, being a photographer, by firstly studying photography at La Salle College, located in the capital of Colombia, Bogotá. Bringing her passion since she was a child, desiring to immortalize a moment through the art of photography, the young Barranquillera successfully obtained her degree. From there on, she has elaborated a permanent creation of conceptual projects that contribute to valuable human interaction that incites to invest in memories.
Motivation:
The determinate Colombian has demonstrated through her lens a crude, raw glimpse of sensibility throughout the world, capturing the soul: the magic behind life. Her photography series and projects encapsulate through images, spontaneous narratives behind the world's most vulnerable and marginalized communities. This work is motivated by her fervent desire to tell stories through the visual arts: stories of people with their voices not heard or silenced. Her ultimate goal is to shift society's perception of the situations these people are experiencing. Furthermore, she finds it personally peaceful and feels the utmost satisfaction to have the possibility to narrate, through images, what infringes her soul and mindset. What disturbs her soul is the fact that people are experiencing a cyclical lifestyle of poverty, and our global community is not doing enough to improve this overall problem.
On the other hand, Carolina feels that the most extraordinary and magical thing about her work is that she gets to help those who need opportunities. She provokes a change in improving and changing perspectives into the better. Finally, she can inform the public about any situation, what she feels the most incredible.
Carolina's work
As an overview, Carolina Meneses' work portrays a series of diverse photographic collections that ultimately gives a voice to the individuals, families, and leaders experiencing a cycle of poverty. In the broader scope, the five projects she decided to share link together towards the theme of representing the disempowered and impoverished situations communities across the globe are living. This may include the narratives of specific individuals or groups that reflect the overall theme, nonetheless all have many distinctive characteristics behind their stories.
Now, lets analyze her realistic,sensible work through her projects and the particular description Carolina Meneses shares of her work.
Project 1
Title: "Al borde"/ "On the edge"
Location: Tlacotalpan, México.
Description
"Tlacotalpan is a town and municipality in the southeast of the state of Veracruz in Mexico. This place has suffered a lot due to floods due to severe rains that increased the level of the Papaloapan River. The last two floods in August and September 2010 were the most severe. Many lost their belongings, even had to leave their homes, but still today they live with the river as if it were another member of their families. In this project, I try to record in a documentary, conceptual and creative way, the role of Water; the river, for everyone in this municipality, creating a focus on the home of the Aguirre family, whose patio is the river, where it is part of their work, daily lives, and their fears and joys. Living life always "On the Edge"." -Carolina Meneses
Project 2
Title: “Cinco Días en Brisas del Puente, Arauca: Cartografía de la vida humana” / "Five Days in Brisas del Puente, Arauca: Cartography of human life"
Location: Brisas del Puente, Arauca, Colombia.
Description
"The Brisas del Puente neighborhood is located on the edge of the Arauca river and just 10 minutes from the center of the city of Arauca. Inhabited by some two hundred families who live in houses built with zinc sheets and on unpaved streets; most of them are displaced from other regions of the country and occupied this territory more than twenty years ago.
Although the neighborhood was legalized years ago, it still does not have a school or health center. Children and young people do not have many options to use their free time and are exposed to vice; These are not minor deficiencies or dangers, but all the families live together, they are friendly and reflect the joy of the Araucanian people. The final purpose with this project was to make a photographic record, as if it were a census space, of how these people live in the neighborhood and what their living conditions are." -Carolina Meneses
Project 3
Title: “Herencia”/ "Heritage"
Location: Cartagena, Colombia.
Description
"Considered as the first free town in America, San Basilio de Palenque has its history immersed in sacrifice. This work, Herencia, shows a series of color photographs of Palenqueras women, whose strength and resilience lead them to survive. This is a tribute to them, to their story, a recognition to those who face a silent battle every day; my work is a representation of how the image can express history, color being an antidote to sadness. Herencia works and mixes different techniques, such as digital photography, pre-production and post-editing of the image. The main purpose of this project is to study the ability to keep memories and history alive through a series of images. This work is the initiation to what I aspire to be a broader investigation of the tradition and the importance that these women have today in our lives, in our country and in the world." -Carolina Meneses
Project 4
Title: “Uno se muere cuando lo olvidan”/ “You die when they forget you”
Location: Medellín,Colombia
Description
"Maria Elena Toro, and Fabiola Lalinde, two fighting and persistent mothers in search of their blood. They and many more are victims of the disappearance of relatives due to the armed conflict in Colombia. They are people who have left the cracks of their soul on the skin. Each, with different stories, have lived a whole life seeking relief and justice. It is said that women always put their faces out, and that being a victim has no stratum ... Will these mothers be called victims or survivors?" -Carolina Meneses
To explore and have a deeper view of Carolina Meneses' work follow her Instagram account, @carolinamenesephoto, or access the link: www.behance.net/carolinameneses .
Comments