NZ Visual Diary - Cuban obsession

colour on parade

Taken simply as a celebration of colour, the woman in traditional dress depicted in this photograph is stunningly vibrant. I am mesmerised each time I view the image.

The photograph is also illustrative, I believe, of a temporal triptych: in one image I see represented distinct expressions of Cuba’s colonial and contemporary histories.

There are salient gestures to Cuba’s colonial history: the woman’s traditional dress with its exquisite folk design and colours is superimposed upon a background of formidable Spanish architecture.

Set against an expressive historical panorama, the seated onlooker in the image — with his apparel of tee shirt, short pants and sneakers — wears a prosaic uniform of present-day leisure fashion.

The photograph illustrates an interconnected tale of three histories.

To see more photographs within my expanding Cuba photographic portfolio, click here. I would welcome your comments on the images you most enjoy.