Lecture Reflection

Ramirez's talk was a very eye-opening lecture that exposed me to the development of Cuban photography. One thing I found very interesting was how artistic photography was not primarily focused on in the early years of Cuba's 20th century. It's main use was by the bourgeoisie for documenting their special occasions but in doing so it shed light on the socio-economic history of Cuba. I loved how photography was used in registering visually the changes that happened in Cuba socio-politically. Also i found a possible connection to how photography was used to promote nationalism. Ramirez talked about how in 1991, after the socialist regime collapsed many pictures were taken of the grim state of Cuba. Nothing was being produced and hence there was an increased need for countrymen to contribute to nation building. Hence in Cuba, emigration was frowned upon so it was really amusing to see a photo documentation called "Possible Emigrante" which highlighted the struggles in Cuba while also shedding light on the sense of nationalism. It's almost as if they were more journalistic photos shot artistically.