Romanticizing Misery

By Alberto de la Cruz, on June 4, 2010, at 9:19 am

In the blog section of the New York Times, Adriana Teresa features the work of a Cuban-born photographer, Raul Cañibano Ercilla. His black and white images capture--whether intended or not--the misery of life on an island prison where a brutal and surreal existence has flourished for more than five decades under the careful watch of a repressive and murderous dictatorship.

Adriana Teresa is obviously moved by these images, but apparently not in ways you would imagine. In a bout of leftist romanticism and a fear that Cuba's days of misery may soon come to an end, she laments what she believes to be the inevitable end in Cuba of impoverished, repressed, and starving slaves, which in her artistic opinion provide wonderful photographic opportunities.

Through the eyes of Raul Cañibano Ercilla, one can see life in Cuba from an intimate perspective, with all its complexities, wonders, struggles, humanity, love and sense of integrity.

In his black-and-white photographs, Mr. Cañibano captures Cuba’s national identity; one that may very well be threatened by the inevitable thrust of economic development and an international tourist economy.
Indeed, what a shame it will be for Adriana Teresa and those like her when the complexities of life as a Cuban slave who is sold to the highest bidder are gone; and the wonders of an existence where every morning a Cuban awakes to their enslaved reality cease to exist; and the struggle to feed and clothe your family every single day of a Cuban's life is no more; and the humanity that is endowed upon the rest of world is finally afforded to the Cuban people; and the Cuban love for freedom and dignity that has endured 51 years of assault is finally recognized; and the integrity of Cubans like Pedro Luis Boitel, and Orlando Zapata Tamayo, and Oscar Elias Biscet, and Darsi Ferrer, and the millions of more Cubans who over their half-century nightmare have held steadfast to the principles of liberty, is at last acknowledged.

When all these things come to pass and Cuba and its people are finally free, it will indeed be a sad day for people like Adriana Teresa. They will be forced to find another zoo populated with what they consider to be sub-human subjects that can provide them with those moving and heart-wrenching images.