Expressions_of_Life_10

Expressions of Life aims to capture the very essence of who we are, highlighting the distinctiveness and character of each individual. A journey told through portraits.This series aims to showcase the human spirit.

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] like doing ‘urban portraits’ without asking people to pose. It’s more in the subjects’ own environment, their own place where they feel more comfortable. I didn’t want to alter anything, I go by instinct first – I approach people on the street, have an informal conversation and then, from there, see if I can capture their portrait. There are many pictures, there are many subjects – each one has its own character, own flavour, own personality.  – Ricardo Palavecino

COMANDANTE SERGIO

“I am a retired Comandante of the Rebel Armed Forces (FAR), from Guatemala. We conducted economic sabotage and targeted government installations and members of government security forces in armed attacks. We engaged in vehicle bombings, gas cylinder bombs, killings, land-mining, kidnapping, extortion, hijacking, as well as guerrilla and conventional military.

In 1968 and 1970, for instance, the U.S. ambassador John Gordon Mein was gunned down by a death squad sent by the FAR. Germany’s ambassador to Guatemala, Karl von Spreti, was kidnapped and murdered by the FAR. None of the FAR guerrilla leaders were ever brought to trial for these crimes.”

GASPAR

“Migration is part of globalisation; an aspect of state policies that expel people. We will find the answer to migration in our communities of origin. To make the right to not migrate concrete, we need to organise the forces in our communities and combine them with the resources and experiences we’ve accumulated in twenty years of cross-border organising.”

SKID ROBOT

Skid Robot is an unique street artist born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. As a guerrilla artist he has brought a positive style of graffiti to the streets of LA and has been gaining national and international attention from his works which are mostly found on Skid Row; a 54-block area in Los Angeles with the second largest homeless population in the United States. The imagery he paints consists of various messages of hope, beautiful landscapes, living rooms, angel wings, houses, thrones, and thought bubbles conveying the hopes and dreams of each homeless person he meets. This helps raise their spirits by giving them a voice, since they are often ignored; his art is a visceral way to humanise the problem of homelessness.

There are many abandoned and vacant lots throughout every major metropolis in the States. If it’s possible to build upon any of these properties, we can apply the affordable and effective method of converting shipping containers into housing for not only the homeless but for low income citizens…

Ricardo Palavecino
Ricardo has been a cinematographer, videographer, and photographer for the past 30 years. He has a multicultural background with substantial international experience in documentaries, dramatic films, mini series, commercials, network promos and corporate videos. He has provided services to various television networks and production companies including, Reuters, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Sundance Channel, Sony Pictures, AXN Japan, TV Asahi Japan, RAI Italy, and many others.
Check Ricardo’s work here: http://www.rpalavecino.com.temp.livebooks.com/
 @expressions_oflife