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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Three: Expressing human values > Commemoration, Magellan Monument, Punta Arenas, Chile, 2004
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03-JAN-2004

Commemoration, Magellan Monument, Punta Arenas, Chile, 2004

This dual portrait reflects the living history of Southern Chile. Dressed in vintage costumes, this man and woman stand impassively before a monument to Fernando Magellan as they participate in a commemoration ceremony honoring the great explorer. They were but two of many local residents in the ceremony – I chose them as my subjects because I sensed how much this moment meant to them. They wear their costumes well, and their faces boldly emerge from the softly focused sculpture of Magellan’s ship behind them. I see a number of important human values represented within this image, including a sense of history, dignity, pride, and honesty.

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Phil Douglis26-Apr-2005 05:19
I'm delighted that you've compared my shot to a Newsweek image, Anna. What you seem to be saying is that this picture, which I made as a travel image, could also function as an example of editorial photography or photojournalism because it expressively tells the story of a particular event, in this case a commemoration of a historic journey, and does so in human terms. The expressions are the key, while the costumes and the monument are the context. In another twist of fate, your comment referring to Newsweek directly follows a comment left by a Mikel, a Spanish photojournalist who actually shoots for Newsweek.
Anna Yu26-Apr-2005 03:40
The clothes especially the hats add to the solemnity of their expressions. Like a picture out of Newsweek with a great story which goes with it.
Phil Douglis31-Dec-2004 04:22
You are right, Mikel, there is a funerary sense to this image that I was unaware of until you mentioned it. The solemnity of the expressions, the wearing of the hats, and the monument behind them, all combine to suggest a burial. But a burial of what? The past? The way of life that died forever with Magellan's voyage? This image puts you on intimate terms with these people. You see a number of human values in them that I did not. Stoicism, perhaps? Belligerency? Populism? And above all, Patriotism. You read this image well, my friend. Thank you.
Guest 29-Dec-2004 17:58
Certainly it is a conmemorative gathering act if it wold not be for the background of Magallanes crossing the strech I also could say that it is a burrial too. The dressing says that these people are in a kind of important cerimony of some kind. Tin the faces though I can distinguish different features in each person. In the women as an example I see that though she is serious she seems more spectant then serious, more trying to see what is happening I wold say for the fitures of both of them that they look more from a small village and dedicate them selfs at farming activities doe to the strong features of the face and the dressings too they are not of high economic level neither. The mans features determinate me a very serious person even a bit bad humored sometimes and use to a hard life, there is a special incongruence in his face and the kind of dressing he weres in some aspects it makes me see it a bit grotesc this combination. He though gives much more importance to this act then her he feels it as a patriotic thing deep inside he's hart I believe. Perhaps I am mistaken in everything but this is the impression that this image gives me, a mix of hard life, with the serenity in this moment for the act.
Phil Douglis03-Dec-2004 21:24
Everyone has their own face, Clara. Who we are and how we feel and yes, even the values we express, are written on our faces. And as a travel photographer, I often use faces to express those values to others.
Guest 03-Dec-2004 20:41
They don't seem very happy or the occasion is kind of grave and solemn, but even so I would not have that face myself! To me is a reflection on human expression and what things of life are of value to us and what are not.
Guest 03-Dec-2004 09:15
just beautiful....
Phil Douglis14-Nov-2004 06:00
Thanks, Nut for leaving all of these observation on this picture. Magellan was the first explorer to sail completely around the world. When he tried to sail around the bottom of South America, the strong winds blew his ships around in circles. So he tried to find another way, and he discovered that he could sail through an inland channel that cut through what is now Argentina and Chile. Today, in Punta Arenas, Chile, there is a statue to his memory. They call that inland passage the Straits of Magellan. These people are participating in a historical ceremony at that statue. Many human values are expressed in these faces -- dignity, honesty, pride, history, and as you say, perhaps a touch of pain or bitterness as well. History is not a pleasant story. Wherever man has come, wars and conflicts and suffering and illness has followed. So if you can feel a touch of pain here, so be it.
nut 14-Nov-2004 05:36
Gap between foreground and background here is because of your purpose. What a man feel
like now, it must be something, which linked to the sculpture of Magellan's ship behind. This is
the way to express human value with all explanation in the background. To make background
more deep but softly focus is to raise up the human values.
nut 14-Nov-2004 05:23
Who is Fernando Magellan? His monument is in Chile for a reason. What is the reason?
So I think Mr. Fernando Magellan is very important person in the history of Chile. Am I right?

A man in this photo look bitter and yes I can see his dignity. I think maybe he is crying inside.
His soul is not happy and a woman beside him knew that. So keep her feeling inside her mind
either; her tooth bite on her upper lip in this way, so I think she feel unwell.

What is behind his dignity with painfulness? And answer must be something in the background. It's history of Fernando Magellan.

Well, old world but everything in this world have their own worth. The effect today follows the
cause yesterday, the change of tomorrow is what happens today. So I have to read some
history more deep. Maybe I will know something.
nut 14-Nov-2004 03:55
Why Magellan Monument is in Chile? Dignity but feel bitter.
Phil Douglis31-Oct-2004 04:21
You never need to worry about screwing up your backgrounds and foregrounds here, Maureen. I know what you meant to say. If I can get what all of my friends and critics from China, Thailand and elsewhere are trying to tell me here, I can sure figure you out!
Phil Douglis31-Oct-2004 04:08
Agreed, Maureen. Magellan himself could not have said this better.
Guest 31-Oct-2004 03:52
Meant to write etching in the background. Opps!
Guest 31-Oct-2004 03:29
What grabbed me about this was that as soon as I saw the shot, I looked immediately at the characters and thought, "old world". Then I looked past them and saw the etching in the foreground and thought the same thing, once more. Old world can cover a lot of ground, yes?
Phil Douglis27-Jan-2004 00:11
You have a remarkable eye, Tim. I deliberately chose this pair of people because they were standing directly in front of the sculpted Magellan ship. I wanted to link them to that event, since that is what they were commemorating, but I did not realize how well I related them in terms of form, as well as content, until you made the observation about their hats as sails. Thank you.
Tim May26-Jan-2004 18:08
I have just been revisiting your images and there are two more things I find in this one, both have to do with the interplay of the background and foreground. I like the way the man's head seems to fit in the curve of the sails and the woman's hat brim seems like another sail.
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