Rocks and soil have been carved into cubes and angles in this outdoor mine. In the depth of over fifteen meters beneath the ground, thousands of native workers, almost naked, crawling up and down the swaying ladders to convey those heavy metals with their bare hands. They’re organized like machines, or just being emotionless, moving to and fro without actual protections,unaware of the potential danger of falling to death.
This is a picture of fifty thousand workers working in the open ground gold mine in the highland, Brazil, taken by Salgado in the 1980s. I found it in the foreword of “Das Kapital”, and this grand scene has stuck in my head ever since.
I have special affections over this picture for two reasons mainly. One is the outstanding structure and striking vision it has to offer, while the other is the hidden meaning behind its colors and lights.
First let’s talk about its fabulous contents. The photographer picked a relatively high spot, so the whole image of crowded of people could be included, as well as leaving a considerable visual impact on the viewers. As for the colors, although it was in the late twentieth century, Salgado still selected the monocolor, which matches perfectly the theme of his work.
The criticism behind the picture is even more fascinating. It has displayed the most authentic and average sight we are likely to encounter in real-life factories. Through the complete record of the working class struggling for his subsistence, this picture has shown us the most naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation deployed by the industrial capitalists. All exposed, and no disguise, this spectacular masterpiece criticizes how the modern wage labour works, calling for the world to take notice of the lowest stratum of our present society: the manual workers.
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