Congratulations to Victor Levin and Pat Yates, winners of our photo contest for the Travel Pursuit Literary Cuba: What Now? What Next? A Country in Transition.
Cuba offered no end of vibrant and interesting scenes to photograph. George Stevens, founder of the American Film Institute, says that “Cuba incorporates the arts in the education of children, and in a country where material pleasures are scarce, personal expression energizes its people.” Our photographers captured that sense of personal expression in two very different ways. First up is Victor’s photo:
Our judge explained, “I chose that photo because the subject is so complex. It begs me to get up close to see more!”
Ann adds, “I concur. You can view this image as a complex abstraction of colour, textures, and shapes. You can also see evidence of hardship. But the photo also invites questions about human stories – who lives behind each of these walls? Even though no people are visible, the viewer can imagine meaningful daily lives – laundry drying, plants tended, a BBQ waiting to be used, walls painted bright colours.”
Pat captured a scene outside the grand cathedral in Trinidad:
She writes, “My favorite photo from Cuba. Trinidad, Monday, April 11, late afternoon, our last day before returning to Havana. While the more stalwart of our group tramped on through the heat and humidity uphill into the heart of the old city, Harriet, Oda and I lolled for awhile in the Plaza Mayor. We took the requisite pictures of each other, posing happily and perhaps a bit haughtily on beautiful wrought iron benches near the cathedral. Nearby, a man and a little girl – father and daughter, I assumed – were having a wonderful time blowing soap bubbles. Flashing through my mind was the thought that it was remarkable they had such a frivolous commodity, when necessary things like toothpaste and bath soap were so hard to find. But overriding that was my happiness at seeing a beautiful, ordinary moment of joy being shared by the little girl chasing the soap bubbles while the man blew them with great gusto. It seemed at that moment we were all at one with the world.”
We’ll soon be announcing the winners of the photo contest for The Pity of War: English Poets of WWI, so watch this space!
