Enough with the phoniness of so-called globalism — for something truly pro-Earth and pro-humanity, look at a photo by Sebastiao Salgado. He has been a towering giant on the terrain of modern photography during his 40-year career, producing astonishing black-and-white images of incomparable originality. Every one of his prints reveals a depth of empathy for humanity and the Earth — from workers at a Brazilian gold mine and at a Kuwaiti oil rig raging with fire to the voiceless victims of the Rwanda genocide.
For four decades, this man has pointed his lens at wars and famines, injustice and death, but his eye has somehow remained fresh, full of wonderment — almost innocent.
In "The Salt of the Earth," a documentary about his life and work directed by his son, filmmaker Juliano Salgado, and German auteur Wim Wenders, Sebastiao says, "Everyone should see these images to know how terrible our species is." His quiet intonation is gut-wrenching.