Chilean photographer Paz Errazáuriz offers a perspective from society's fringes in her work.
Paz Errázuriz, a renowned Chilean photographer, is set to open her first solo exhibition in the UK at MK Gallery in Milton Keynes on July 19. The exhibition, titled "Dare to Look", will feature more than 170 photographs representing the profound, unwavering humanity of Errázuriz's gaze.
During General Augusto Pinochet's 17-year military dictatorship (1973–1990), Errázuriz created a deeply significant body of work that has had lasting impact both artistically and socially. Her photography offered a counter-narrative to the regime’s repression by focusing on marginalized communities and individuals often excluded or persecuted under authoritarian rule.
Errázuriz's works command attention with their fierce, unflinching gaze, often depicting marginalized communities and challenging societal norms. Her portraits underscore themes of sexuality, violence, and desire, as well as the tension between strength and fragility.
One of her most raw and desolate works, "Antesala de un desnudo" ("Antechamber of a nude"), resulted from her photographing a group of elderly women patients at the hospital. Another series, "ElInfarto del Alma", focuses on stories of patients who found love within the hospital walls, portraying couples embracing, hugging, and standing side by side.
Errázuriz's subtle demand for social change through the camera began with "The Sleeping" (1979), a series of photographs of people sleeping on the streets of Santiago. She later photographed various neglected and vulnerable communities in Chile, including homeless, sex workers, gay people, the elderly, mentally ill, protesters, and Indigenous people.
The MK Gallery in Milton Keynes will host Errázuriz's first solo exhibition in the UK, where visitors will have the opportunity to witness her groundbreaking work firsthand. The exhibition promises to be a testament to Errázuriz's commitment to documenting the lives of those often overlooked by mainstream society, and her unwavering dedication to challenging societal norms and promoting social justice.
Errázuriz's artistic innovation and legacy extend beyond Chile, influencing generations of photographers and human rights activists. In 1986, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship, making her the first Latin American female photographer to be awarded the prestigious grant. She co-founded the Association of Independent Photographers (AFI) in 1980, a group of photojournalists living in Chile.
Errázuriz's home in Santiago was raided by the military during the violent, US-aided coup in 1973. Her works reflect her deep interest in identity and her desire to understand herself and others better, particularly in the Chilean context. She visited the Santiago psychiatric hospital at the end of the 1970s, hoping to find friends who had disappeared during the military dictatorship. She later gained permission to return and work with the patients, resulting in the series "ElInfarto del Alma" (1994).
The exhibition will also feature her portraits of boxers, a rare view of a hyper-macho world by a female photographer at that time. Errázuriz first taught herself to use a camera while living in Cambridge as a student in the 1960s.
In conclusion, Paz Errázuriz's photography during Pinochet’s regime was groundbreaking for illuminating the lives of Chile’s marginalized populations under authoritarian repression. Her empathetic and courageous work provided a powerful critique of social injustice and political violence, influencing cultural memory, human rights discourse, and the field of documentary photography in Chile and beyond. Visitors to the "Dare to Look" exhibition at MK Gallery in Milton Keynes will have the opportunity to witness this important body of work for themselves.
Paz Errázuriz's photographs at the MK Gallery's "Dare to Look" exhibition promise to highlight her commitment to documenting and challenging societal norms, extending beyond fashion-and-beauty and politics in general-news. With themes such as sexuality, violence, and desire, her works during the Pinochet regime significantly influenced the cultural memory and human rights discourse in Chile and beyond.
Errázuriz's courageous portraits of marginalized communities, including the elderly, sex workers, protesters, and indigenous people, will offer visitors a testament to her unwavering dedication to promoting social justice. In doing so, they will also gain insight into the realm of lifestyle and fashion, as her images challenge traditional ideas of identity and humanity.
