” Divided Soul” represents photojournalist David Alan Harvey`s 20-year journey through the Spanish & Portuguese diaspora. In this selection of over 100 colour photographs Harvey explores the exuberance & incongruities of Hispanic life & culture that hold for him an endless fascination. As a young photographer Harvey was sent by ” National Geographic” to Guatemala & Mexico to document a story on the Maya & the conquistadors, which ignited a personal passion & led him to pursue assignments around the Hispanic world. Supported over the years by ” Magnum” & by ” National Geographic”, Harvey has photographed in Spain, Portugal & throughout the New World, including Cuba, Mexico, Honduras, Brazil & Chile, amassing an extensive body of work that bears witness to his continued engagement with the impact of the forced blending of cultures. Harvey`s evocative photographs are presented within three thematic chapters
- ” Ritual”, ” Place” & ” Reverie”
- each of which is introduced with a personal text written by Harvey. The passionate & divided soul of the Spanish- & Portuguese-speaking world, where tradition & ritual are inherent to everyday life, is revealed in these photographs of pulsating carnivals in Trinidad, fervent religious ceremonies in Brazil, & intense Easter parades in Puerto Rico. Adopting an approach that combines intuition, patience & persistent curiosity
- together with a rejection of fancy equipment
- Harvey succeeds in minimizing the distance between himself & his subjects, producing images that capture the natural choreography of people within places & that resonate with magic.