Evan Bedford
I first traveled to Cuba in 2007 and quickly found myself pulled in many directions by the complexities and contrasts of a country fighting for its survival. An intrinsically complicated country, it took me weeks to even process and garner a solid first impression. I made a promise to myself...
I first traveled to Cuba in 2007 and quickly found myself pulled in many directions by the complexities and contrasts of a country fighting for its survival. An intrinsically complicated country, it took me weeks to even process and garner a solid first impression. I made a promise to myself to return one day to elaborate on my impressions.
This body of work marks my return to Cuba in 2015. The country was on the verge of immense change and I found myself right in the optimal spot between old and new. Over the course of two extensive trips I was able to capture my own interpretations of a country and its people on the brink of a historical transition. Embedding myself in the Centro Habana area outside of the main tourist spots, I established relationships with many residents and explored their community identity within the greater context of the country as a whole.
The photographs made in these trips display a rare look at Cuba at a time just before it took great steps to open up. I was there as The United States and Cuba officially restored full diplomatic relations and opened up the American Embassy for the first time since 1961. I was also there as Cuba introduced 35 public WIFI hotspots across the country where for the first time many Cubans could go online. And the first commercial flights from The United States began service not long after my last trip to Cuba.
This series offers an intimate view into Cuba at a critical moment in time not just for the subjects but also the viewers. It provides a window into a society and asks us to question what our relationship will be from here on out. This dialogue is just one step in the course of a rapidly changing Cuba. With change comes both gains and losses and these photos aim to preserve some aspect of what may be lost to time and development.
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