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PIERCING THE DARKNESS
Susan S. Bank
I am submitting a selection of recent images from a series, titled “Piercing the Darkness” which I have not exhibited or published before. A Philadelphia based photographer, since 1999 I have moved in and out of that mythical illusive citadel of Havana, a city of contradictions and juxtapositions with one eye on the straits of Miami.
My intention is to bring to light the authentic ‘real’ Havana: to deconstruct the exotic, romantic vision of the city. The mythology that comes out of Havana from extranjeros (outsiders) brings the same message: Habaneros maintain an enduring hope despite the economic hardships and dimishing expectations for change.
Having spent extensive time living in Habana Centro, what I refer to as the ‘Beirut’ sector of the city, I have observed that Habaneros live in a constant twilight zone of inertia and anxiety. What appears real suffuses into the surreal. While I have observed that Habaneros are resourceful, clever and waiting, hope barely seeps into their reality . . . hope for the children. Rather, Habaneros survive on humor: humor is their homegrown anesthetic.
The irony in my attempt to deconstruct myths in a place where the unexpected and unknown is the daily norm is that I find myself drawn deeper into a labyrinth of mystery, resulting in images that can be read as ‘lost steps’.
I work with a handheld Leica M6 using available light.