JR: Faces of the Favelas
(image source | BBC)
It took me a while to come around to the work of French artist JR. I thought his work was just blown up photos, without any real integrity, plastered to the sides of buildings. In essence, over-sized, self-indulgent wheat pastes. However, the more I understood and looked at the man’s art, the more I realized the images and the grand size of the pieces weren’t self indulgent, but rather bringing recognition and confidence to those around the world who need it most. Through JR’s visits to the less fortunate towns throughout the world, he has taken photos of the locals and given them a chance to be their own celebrity. He has given those with nothing to look forward to a reason to smile and feel proud about who they are, all the while, getting the world to stare at the communities and the faces of those we would prefer to pretend do not exist, as we shop for the material possessions we simply “can’t live without”. JR just might be one of the most important artists to be working today.
Click here for the BBC photo slide show of his work around Rio de Janeiro.
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