Humour sanctifies horror

Abstract

The thesis analyzes a growing aesthetic tendency in Colombian photography based on humour and laughter as a form of social venting. The main characteristics are a depiction of social division, poverty and violence, and the use of mockery, counterfeits, and cheap materials.

This thesis begins with a general overview for which the author proposes the term “Macondian Photography” and follows with an analysis of the work of three particular artists active over the period starting from 1970 till 2018. They are Paola Rojas, a fine art photographer and winner of Colombia’s National Photographic Award that; El Chino, personal photographer of Pablo Escobar, and Luis Ospina, one of the proponents of the pornmisery movement.

Investigation shows the use of satiric, humor, and burlesque elements to reflect over serious, violent, or stressful situations in Colombia. It also demonstrates a connection with the literary movement “Magic Realism” and one of its founders’ writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Results also reveal influences that Europe and North America had on Latin American artists and how they stepped away from these tendencies to create a form of representation of Colombia’s cultural identity.