Background information
"In Cuba, one will most likely be quick to encounter a lonely caged songbird – a tradition of owning songbirds is longstanding in Cuba and a part of their cultural heritage. As Katrín ELVARSDÓTTIR experienced in her travels to Cuba some years ago, most homes she encountered had minimum one, if not many, adorned in intricate cages within sparse and barren homes. Perhaps the Cubans feel a certain affinity with the songbird, their own movements restricted and controlled. An isolated human seeking an isolated companion in their own cage. In a place where economic poverty is the rule rather than the exception, perhaps ownership of a songbird presents a certain facade of luxury, implying an indulgence of lifestyle so as to mask the appearance of lacking and wanting." (© Daria Sol Andrews)
Content
This photo volume, 'Songbirds' by Katrín ELVARSDÓTTIR consists of full-paged grainy, imperfect color photographs which show birds (mainly canaries) in cages. While the cages are mostly in houses, two-thirds-pages - as negative photographs - show urban views of Havanna.
Additional information
The photo volume 'Songbirds' by Katrín ELVARSDÓTTIR is made with two different kinds of paper: Munken Lynx Rough and UPM gloss and is designed by Árman AGNARSSON.