|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
HOME | THE FACES | THE ARTIST | ADD MY CITY | WHAT'S NEW | EXHIBITIONS | POSTERS | BOOKS | PRESS | LINKS | CONTACT | |
|
Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil |
|||
Male Composite |
Individual |
Female Composite |
|
|
|
|||
Rio, with 6 million people and a metropolitan population of 12 million, is Brazil’s second largest city and is most famous globally for its Mardi Gras in February or March each year and for its magnificent setting and beaches. The city was founded in 1565 and was Brazil's capital from 1764 to 1960, when the government was transferred to Brasilia. During Napoleon’s invasion of Portugal, Rio became the capital of Portugal and its empire. Like the United States, with which it shares a history of colonization, slavery and mass migration, Brazil has one of the most diverse populations in the world. Brazil’s racial composition is given as white (including Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, and other (including Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%, and Rio’s ethnic composition would pretty much run along these lines. Portuguese is the official language but Spanish and English are widely understood. Today Rio, like São Paulo, is a magnet for migrants from all parts of Brazil. It also has a sizeable population of European and North American retirees. Copacabana, lying to the south of the historic center, is Rio’s world famous beach. It is home to many retirees and together with Ipanema is one of the city’s main tourist attractions. The shoot itself was a tough one. People seemed quite reluctant to take part. Jo ã o, my guide, surmised that being Carnaval week a lot of people might be in town for some illicit fun and might not want their presence recorded. Eventually after about 6 hours I’d gathered one hundred faces. Being Mardi Gras there were a lot of tourists – mainly Europeans – British, French and Germans primarily. Cariocas, as the locals are called, comprised about 75% of the sample with some Argentinos and Chile ñ os represented as well. The composite faces are interesting. The male face is confident and forward looking – he looks a bit like Ronaldo to me. The female face is also strong with a mysterious smile like the Mona Lisa’s. Photographer: Mike Mike: Assistants: Jo ã o, Jeremy |
||
| Two posters are available for download: | ||
|
||
© mike mike 2003, 2008 |
||||||
