Behind the Bodies of Transvestites and Boxers: A Conversation With Paz Errazuriz

            She uttered the last words I would ever expect to come from the mouth of a elderly Chilean woman. “My latest project is S&M”. Paz Errazuriz, distinguished photographer and artist, was full of spunk and a hint of sass as she engaged in conversation with Francine Masiello, expert on Latin American literature, Tuesday night in Sutardja Dai Hall.  Paz Errazuriz’ collection consists of intimate black and white portraits of those on “the margins of society”.  This includes a spectrum of people such as transvestites, amateur boxers, the last women of the endangered Mapuche tribe, and patients in mental hospitals.  If Errasuriz was not bold enough in choosing her rather taboo subjects, she certainly adds another layer of precariousness by conducting her work during the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, which implemented censorship.  By capturing the images of her marginalized subjects, she gave them soundless voices and preserved their histories during a time when memory was abolished.

             Errasuriz’ images capture a rare vulnerability within her subjects, whether they are a mentally disabled couple holding hands or a boxer about to enter the ring.  Through her camera lens, she dismantles all ego and gives the viewer insight into pure human fragility.  Though her physical work is produced into prints, she was adamant on explaining that much of her work is done by spending time with her subjects and establishing trust before photographing them.  Errasuriz claims that she has never paid any of her subjects to take their picture, and considers most of the people to be her friends.  As a portrait of a transvestite poised on a mattress is illuminated behind her on a PowerPoint, Errasuriz contests, “More than the body, I tried to see behind them.”
             This point alludes to the idea of portraying global poverty, which becomes all the more literal with the GPP minor photo requirements on our PE.  Errasuriz’ insistence on establishing trust between photographer and subject resonated with me, particularly because the women I will be working with in Peru have a past relationship with having their portraits taken.  Because indigenous people in Peru lack access to economic resources, many of the women dressed in traditional clothing in Cusco will have their pictures taken standing next to tourists for a fee, generating meager wages for themselves.  I believe it is important to ask why tourists feel inclined to take these photographs, how they will be used, and if and where they will be posted.  Though photography has become an artistic medium accessible to the every being with a smart phone, the subject behind the camera remains a person with a story.
             The discussion with Paz Errasuriz reinforced the importance of the art of photography as preservation of the memories of those who would otherwise be forgotten.  Viewing the depth of her work allows the viewer to understand the importance of trust between photographer and subject.
             To come full circle, Errasuriz’ previous collections are currently being displayed in BAM for the first time in the United States.  Stay tuned for her future work that she has foretold will include blind people and S&M.