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| Lost in the Mists of Sacred Time: Pelourinho, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil |
I met my old teacher Don Marcos during my first visit to the Pelourinho district in Salvador da Bahia in 1976. Brazil still suffered under a military dictatorship but the Pelourinho neighbourhood had much character and many characters. In fact, it was a desperate slum. Despite that, the charm of the old Portugeuse colonial architecture came through.
Returning more recently to find my old teacher, the community had gone through a dramatic makeover of the old buildings to their original glory and pastel colours. The Pelourinho (named after the pillar in the square to which slaves were tied and whipped) was now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It seemed to me that it's raw beauty and sensuality needed to be recorded in the black and white of this picture, rather than the colour in which it is usually portrayed. I used Kodak black and white infrared film (which has vanished in the mists of time).
Even though Don Marcos was dead and gone, when I walked through our old haunts, I could hear his cutting, humorous remarks, slicing and dicing the facelift given to his beloved neighbourhood so it would look better for the tourists.
