Patrick Cariou

Since the 1980s, French photographer Patrick Cariou (born 1963) has traveled to far out places around the globe, documenting people living on the fringes of society and making a way for themselves. Whether photographing surfers, gypsies, Rastafarians, or rude boys of Kingston, Cariou celebrates his subjects as they are: peoples of the earth who meet the struggles of life with honor, dignity, and joy. Given access to these hermetic realms, Cariou presents a fascinating portrait of resistance in a multiplicity of forms. The landscape plays a vital role in Cariou's work, revealing how people live shapes their identity and destiny in equal part. Whether following the waves, living in the mountains, or surviving urban and rural poverty, Cariou's subjects reval the importance of preserving one's native culture at a time of Western cultural hegemony. The spirit of pride and defiance comes alive in his work; each of the peoples portrayed have found a way to survive despite the brutality facing them and the earth alike.