Carlos Garaicoa: Photography as Intervention

It is the first comprehensive overview of the photographic work of contemporary Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa. Photographers are generally witnesses to what goes on around them; some risk their lives to get involved, while others prefer the detached record afforded by a telephoto lens. The work of Carlos Garaicoa, a self-taught artist who developed an early interest in photography in his native Havana, reflects the experience of an eye-witness who is actively involved; it is testimony, but it is also accusation; insubordination, and also desperation. For over twenty years, most of his work - regardless of the technique used - has involved intervention based on documentary photography. His approach is sometimes cynical, sometimes constructive; but it never leaves us unmoved. Rather than offering a general survey of Garaicoa's work, this volume - the first devoted to his photography - seeks to highlight the key role played by documentary and photography in his outlook as an artist.