Foreword by Rosa Olivares.
The unrivaled drama of bullfighting, with its rigorous combination of athleticism and artistry and its requisite display of grace under pressure, ignited Hemingway's imagination and inspired him to write his classic work on the subject, "Death in the Afternoon." That same inspiration took hold of photographer Ricardo B. Sanchez, moving him to create the most unique and elegant record of what is and has always been one of the most controversial "sports" practiced by man. Some contend that bullfighting remains one of the most artful and sophisticated means by which some cultures celebrate the bravery of the hunter.
This ancient ritual illustrates the complex relationship between predator and prey, between culture and nature. Here, Sanchez's vividly arresting artworks and text reflect this exquisite "pas de deux," where the bull and the bullfighter trace the lines and forms of their existence with each pass. The accompanying texts describe the steps of the bullfight representing broader relationships between nature and humans. Here is a distinctively beautiful and enlightened visual and intellectual study of the intersection of tradition, culture, art, and nature in an ancient rite so exquisitely and intricately recorded that one can actually see why so many revere bullfighting as an art form: it truly is a pas de deux.
ISBN: 978-0-9832702-1-8 | 176 pages | 12 x 10" | landscape hardcover |
110 4/c photos
Ricardo B. Sanchez