Humanity and tragedy

Often compared to Weegee, photographer Enrique Metinides shot for Mexico City’s “nota roja,� the bloody pages. He chronicled accidents, grief, scenes of violence, suicides or what they leave behind, for pulp magazines.

Untitled (Untitled, Asalto a un supermercado de la cadena Comercial Mexicana), 1988

His photographs are so perfect that they seem to be staged, as if they were stills from a detective movie. Just like the tragedy doesn't stop at the corpses and the blood, Metinides' "art" goes beyond the scene and shows us the gathering crowds, the onlookers, the mother crying, the emergency teams, etc.

VBS has a 5 part video interview (Part 1, 2, 3, part 4 is coming tomorrow and the last bit will be on the day after) in his Art Talk! series. The guy is lovely and it is great to hear him tell the stories behind some of his most famous pictures.

Jesus Bazaldua Barber, a telecommunications engineer, fatally electrocuted by more than 60,000 volts whilst installing a new phone line. Toluca, Mexico, 29 January 1971

Images Anton Kern Gallery.

More information on Enrique Metinides in Dia de los muertos (in english); Pulp Nonfiction, Ripped From the Tabloids; Fatal Attraction; Crime scene investigator; Heroes: Enrique Metinides.