Luis González Palma
Encyclopedia
Luis González Palma is a modernist
Guatemala
n photographer
. Born in 1957, the artist grew up in Guatemala City
where he later continued to live and opened up a portrait studio. He studied architecture and cinematography at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and then turned to photography. He has presented his work since 1989-present in more than 58 expositions in America and Europe.
He is of mixed or “mestizo
” background, and his photography focuses on the plight of the indigenous Mayas
and the mestizo people of Guatemala. His photographs are often meant to bring psychological
and culture issues into the viewers mind, by incorporating distant gazes and mystical costumes that objectify and explain the pain these people, who are a minority
in Guatemala, have gone through since before, during and after the intense genocide of their race.
Symbol
ism is very important in González Palma’s work: he uses symbols to get his strong ideas across. Along with symbolism González Palma uses sepia tints in all of his photographs, and tends to leave the whites of the eyes not tinted, in order to intensify the subject’s gaze. Critics say this helps bring out the issues that the artist is trying to explain or explore. Another strong part of his photography is that he tends to collage
his photographs, layering on top of his subjects with important words or symbols.
González Palma declares that he tries "to portray the soul of a people" in his photographs, but others disagree with him, and claim that he exploits his subjects. It all comes down to the opinion of the viewer in the end.
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n photographer
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. Born in 1957, the artist grew up in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
where he later continued to live and opened up a portrait studio. He studied architecture and cinematography at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala and then turned to photography. He has presented his work since 1989-present in more than 58 expositions in America and Europe.
He is of mixed or “mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
” background, and his photography focuses on the plight of the indigenous Mayas
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
and the mestizo people of Guatemala. His photographs are often meant to bring psychological
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and culture issues into the viewers mind, by incorporating distant gazes and mystical costumes that objectify and explain the pain these people, who are a minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
in Guatemala, have gone through since before, during and after the intense genocide of their race.
Symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
ism is very important in González Palma’s work: he uses symbols to get his strong ideas across. Along with symbolism González Palma uses sepia tints in all of his photographs, and tends to leave the whites of the eyes not tinted, in order to intensify the subject’s gaze. Critics say this helps bring out the issues that the artist is trying to explain or explore. Another strong part of his photography is that he tends to collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
his photographs, layering on top of his subjects with important words or symbols.
González Palma declares that he tries "to portray the soul of a people" in his photographs, but others disagree with him, and claim that he exploits his subjects. It all comes down to the opinion of the viewer in the end.