A few decades ago in the editorial leadership, after having created his own publishing company and become a bestseller uncontested in photography books - more than 40 published - the Santa Catarina Araquém Alcantara celebrates its 40 years of occupation going back to its roots chromatic and more dedicated an entire issue to black and white: Backwoods endless, released in the last 15 days in Sao Paulo.

It is not easy reviewing shades of gray for those who spent most of his time working the spectrum of color and all its nuances - the first in the traditional trading cards, after broad range in digital - and produce a return to film monochrome *, found in 176 pages and a more momentous printed book and at 90 imposing images.

(* The first book Araquém Alcantara, released in 80 years, was totally black and white, printed a brochure and shy was called Santos. The book (now out of print) was a vision of the city of São Paulo, the photographer took and where began his career. In 1992, he would publish, with the same name, a more courageous, mixed in color. The second book in B & W was Brazilian, 2004).

According to the author, the endless images of backwoods were generated in traditional fast film, camera mechanics and fixed lenses. Alcantara also produces a work which most images are unique, difficult task for anyone who has published many books. However, part of the merit of this very careful editing should also partnering with Chiodetto Eder, photographer, critic and curator who, in addition to the presentation text, part of editing the images. (Chiodetto was responsible for shows that marked the year 2009: Look and pretend - Collection M + M Auer, the MAM of St. Paul and the invention of a world with works of the Maison Européenne de la Photographie at Itaú Cultural, among other .)

The critical distance of the images reviewed by someone without a passionate involvement with them, makes the result more interesting. There are no personal stories that deviate from the path of the issue more acute, those dealing with photographs subliminally, and therefore do not reach the reader less rooted in the theme or the intricacies of your thread. The result is a number that surprised even those familiar with the syntax of Alcantara and his extensive monographs.

The digital post-production, sometimes exaggerated, reinforces loaded tones of grays and blacks, but does not compromise its contents. Rather, it supports the author to conduct its corollary, which is explicit in powerful images from the beginning. A confrontation that paradoxically draws the hardness of the Brazilian backlands a large graphic poetry, whose number printed on Italian Garda Pat is noteworthy.

The dosage of external nature, rich, bright graphics and is a counterpoint to the inner shadow or chiaroscuro that highlight the human wonder. The same report that dignifies the outside world, translates into fewer tonal nuances of the local daily the clash backcountry. The wrinkles found on the faces have the same cutting edge of those seen in the mountains.

Built largely from his work and personal discourse, Alcantara back again to his Messianic character, which - as it would be different - part of the liturgy hinterland. A review of median hinterland no longer produces a publication of the genre, but something whose own character is emphasized and strongly a priori. The figure of the cowboy who was beginning to nauseate, so repeated, acquires fresh contours, takes his pomp, falls back into its peculiar circumstance.

In its course, are north of Minas Gerais, the interior of Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraiba, Piaui, Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia and Ceara. According to the photographer, places untouched, which are not on the map, torn, famine, drought, harsh and unforgiving light. Two years of work, only one of them in the preparation of the edition, which features a graphic design Victor Burton surprisingly clean, without their traditional frills.

The interior of Araquém Alcantara "is a circular interior" as well Chiodetto Eder points. It is a symbolic territory as careful in his poetic text. It is also peculiar and unique, as he writes Walnice Nogueira Galvão.

Walnice is professor of comparative literature and, among other things, have your resume in the critical edition of two heavyweights of the national literature: The backwoods of Euclides da Cunha (1866-1909) and GSV, Guimarães Rosa (1908 -1967). These credentials were not enough (which sacramentam publication of Alcantara), Walnice has also published five books about Rosa, and thirty other titles.

In the book of Alcantara, the teacher speaks garnering hearty different publications and iconography, which becomes a pleasure in itself: the beautiful portrait of Euclides da Cunha, made in 1903 and belonging to the memory center of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, and the picture (unfortunately no credit) of the Bahian filmmaker Glauber Rocha (1939-1981) addressing God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun, 1964.

Hinterland is an endless whole, it becomes an excellent guide to the hinterlands, the arts and good Brazilian literature.

Service
Hinterland endless, the Publisher Earth Brazil . Size: 30 cm x 31 cm. Issue: three 3000 copies. Price: $ 120 (hardcover) or $ 140 (deluxe edition). The book was sponsored by the company Qualicorp.

Juan Esteves, photographer, has been writing his articles since 1988 in the Folha de S. Paul. It was Iris Photo Magazine columnist and editor and columnist for the Fotosite. You Better Shoot magazine columnist and contributor to text and images for magazines such as Mitsubishi, Living Alone, Travel and More Cosac Naify. Now, the blog of Paraty in Focus, called Juan, all Fridays, unpublished or published - the last, with reprint and update made ​​especially for this blog. To read other books Araquém Alcantara, reviewed by Juan Esteves, click here .

All photos in this post are Araquém Alcantara.