Workers

by Sebastião Salgado

More than those of any other living photographer, Sebastião Salgado's images of the world's poor stand in tribute to the human condition. His transforming photographs bestow dignity on the most isolated and neglected, from famine-stricken refugees in the Sahel to the indigenous peoples of South America. "Workers" is a global epic that transcends mere imagery to become an affirmation of the enduring spirit of working women and men. The book is an archaeological exploration of the activities that have defined labor from the Stone Age through the Industrial Age, to the present. Divided into six categories--"Agriculture," "Food," "Mining," "Industry," "Oil" and "Construction"--the book unearths layers of visual information to reveal the ceaseless human activity at the core of modern civilization. Extended captions provide a historical and factual framework for the images. "Salgado unveils the pain, the beauty, and the brutality of the world of work on which everything rests," wrote Arthur Miller of this photobook classic, upon its original publication in 1993. "This is a collection of deep devotion and impressive skill." An elegy for the passing of traditional methods of labor and production, "Workers" delivers a message of endurance and hope.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Labor, Art Design, Brazil, Art and Photography

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Sebastião Ribeiro Salgado Júnior was a Brazilian social documentary photographer and photojournalist.
He traveled in over 120 countries for his photographic projects. Most of these have appeared in numerous press publications and books. Touring exhibitions of his work have been presented throughout the world.
Salgado was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He was awarded the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund Grant in 1982, Foreign Honorary Membership of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1992; and the Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship (HonFRPS) in 1993. He was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts at the Institut de France since April 2016.

Reviews

[Steven Godin]

My fifth book of Salgado photography, and although I still say Genesis is his best, Workers is still an absolutely stunning collection.

[Barry Stoch]

I saw Sabastiao's Genesis exhibit in 2013 and was completely blown away by his b&w images.

I recently watched the "Salt of the Earth" dvd documenting his journey as a photographer, which covered his main projects of Genesis, Migrations, and this book on Workers. From the workers series I was taken aback by the almost primitive conditions under which so much of humanity has had to, and still does, endure in a lot of parts of the world and just had to get the book to follow up with expanded coverage of his images.

The book did not disappoint, page after page of stunning plates of Sebastiao's work, in environments that are hard to imagine. If you think you've had a hard day at the office, just open up this book will give you a quick dose of perspective!
This book is in my top 3 photo books ever! Highly recommended

[Tynan Brooks]

Almost too many photos to take in. I appreciate the personality in Salgado's portrayal of the global working poor, but in its encyclopedic breadth, it lacks the specificity and focus that makes for a truly masterful photobook.

[Lynn]

Lots of dirty jobs.

[Tapani Aulu]

Vaikuttavia kuvia, kuten aina. Tällä kertaa vieläkin vähemmän taustatekstiä.

[Tim Scott]

To state that this book has an epic span is to state the obvious. Some topics are beautifully shot while others have me struggling to understand how they were done, most noticeably those with oil well extinguishers in Kuwait. Gorgeous!

[Teo]

2018.08.14–2018.08.14

Contents

Salgado S (1993) Workers - An Archaeology of the Industrial Age

Part I

01. Sugarcane, Brazil and Cuba
02. Tea, Rwanda
03. Tobacco, Cuba
04. Cocoa, Brazil
05. Perfume, Réunion

Part II

06. Fishing, Galicia, Spain
07. Tuna Fishing, Sicily, Italy
08. Slaughterhouse, South Dakota, United States

Part III

09. Textiles, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan
10. Bicycles, Shanghai and Tianjin, China
11. Scooters, Pune, India
12. Motorcycles, Madras, India
13. Automobiles, Ukraine, Russia, India, and China
14. Shipyards, Poland and France
15. Shipbreaking, Bangladesh
16. Titanium and Magnesium, Kazakhstan
17. Lead, Kazakhstan
18. Steel, France and Ukraine
19. Railroads, France
20. Iron Ore, Kazakhstan

Part IV

21. Coal, India
22. Sulfur, Indonesia
23. Gold, Serra Pelada, Brazil

Part V

24. Oil, Baku, Azerbaijan
25. Oil Wells, Kuwait

Part VI

26. Eurotunnel, England and France
27. The Sandar Sarovar Dam and Irrigation Channel, India
28. Rajasthan Canal, Rajasthan, India

[Steve]

Startling, gripping, intoxicating collection of photographs by Sebastiao Salgado. Having this large format, high quality book will have to do until the show reappears. The scale and intensity of work emerges from the photos, close-ups and landscapes alike. Salgado passionately investigates the condition of those living at and beyond the margins around the world. See the film, Salt of the Earth, for a deeply personal perspective. This book expresses that passion.

[Rui Sun]

This is Sebastião Salgado's Ode to Workers around the world. It is a deeply moving opus but feels heavy on the quantity. I wish he and his editor could be more selective. To me the most awe inspiring parts are Sulfur, Indonesia (284 to 299), Gold, Serra Pelada, Brazil (300 to 319) and Oil Wells, Kuwait (334 to 345). The scenes captured in some of these pictures, to quote the photographer himself, "were biblical".

[Simeon Berry]

Never have I read a book that made me more aware of my own privilege. Gorgeous and terrifying images of the consequences of the Anthropocene and the ever-present reality of William Blake’s dark satanic mills. These amazing, graven moments of what human beings can endure and accomplish make me feel like a indolent wastrel in an opium den.

[Amron]

This is one of my favorite BW documentary photographers. This book in particular stays with you. Truth in pictures is power!

[Carlos Hugo Winckler Godinho]

Depois de ver muitas vezes aleatoriamente, finalmente vi na sequência sugerida e na íntegra. Um trabalho íncrivel e com um "índice" muito informativo.

[Chanti]

And this one, too...