The woman in this photo raises
her pitcher, and the sky appears to flow in. It is Rwanda in 1994, and
a conflict between ethnic groups there will cost hundreds of thousands
of lives. But the only hint of violence in this photograph is the womans
bandaged hand. Photographer Gilles Peress exploits the fact that photographs
can often hide more than they show. We are so far removed from Rwanda
that we probably wouldnt even identify this woman with that area
of Africa. Perhaps that is part of his message.
Peress used the sky as a field of light in the photograph, a background
for the womans face. In fact, the light comes from somewhere behind
the woman to create a glowing profile. The diagonal shape in the upper
left corner (echoing the shape of her head scarf), the horizontal string
of buildings at her shoulders, and the vertical pole in front of her face
complete a frame around her head.
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