Night at the Museum…More like Morning at the Photography Center

Our class had spent weeks on the topic of climate change; we looked at different artworks and articles. But this field trip was different. I was able to look at photographs taken by the famous Salgado with my own eyes- not just a computer or projection screen. The experience felt more intimate and personal.

 

This painting looked so strange; I have never seen a girl who was naked and blindfolded before. It turns out that it is a painting of a young Kuikuro girl who is preparing for the Kuarup ceremony. This is a tradition where she has to go into reclusion in the family hut after her first menstruation. At the next day, she will reveal herself in public notifying that she is ready for a husband. What a different custom! Usually, there a secrecy when a woman gets her period in America. It is seem more as an inconvenience as opposed to a marriage calling. It is amazing to see how different cultures are. But, more importantly, we become more attached to this tribe when we understand their customs and lifestyles. It’s scary knowing that our actions, in terms of climate change, can affect someone so far away.