Documentary photography speaks truth to power

Collective Vision — Fractures Collective focuses on conflict zones and street protests to document society’s fault lines.

If you thought photography was an individual pursuit, think again. Photography collectives, from Magnum to VII to The Deadbeat Club, have always played an important role in pushing the medium forward. In this regular series, Collective Vision, we find the photographers who are stoking a resurgence of the collective and rewriting the rules of the game.

Fractures is a documentary photography collective made up of four members – Wil Sands, Anderson Barbosa, Guillaume Darribau and Oscar B Castillo – based between Brazil, Spain, Venezuela and France. The name Fractures was inspired by a belief that in the twenty-first century, the world’s social, political, economical and environmental systems are breaking apart as it spirals deeper into crisis.

This pessimistic outlook is softened by the collective’s faith in the power of photography to play a role in positive change – if not finding solutions directly, then contributing to the debate to find answers for the many questions that confront our society.

Each member comes from a background of activism and are drawn to documenting lives on the fault lines, where the breakdown of the current order results in upheaval. Fractures have reported on communities affected by Brazil’s Belo Monte dam, conflict areas such as Kashmir and Eastern Ukraine, and dodged teargas in street protests from from Athens to Brazil, Istanbul to Kiev’s Maidan.

Huck spoke to Wil Sands, originally from Chicago, Il, but now based in Barcelona, Spain to find out more.

Why did you decide to join forces?
As photographers we firmly believe in the classical role of journalism: meeting power with truth. We don’t claim objectivity, nor do we seek to show one single truth. We are more interested in truth(s) and believe that complete objectivity is a myth. For Fractures, good photojournalism documents an event or story and, more importantly, adds complexity to public debate.  We believe our photography should confront reductionist discourses and challenge the cliche and stereotypical.

Prior to working together as photographers, we’d all been involved in various grassroots social/political movements in Barcelona and South America. These shared experiences are what first brought us together as individuals, and would later become the root of the collective. For example, Fractures is organised horizontally and all major decisions are made by consensus and guided by principles of mutual support.

Guillaume Darribau and I co-founded Fractures Photo Collective in the spring of 2011. Shortly afterwards, two more photographers/friends, Anderson Barbosa and Oscar B. Castillo joined the team. Individually we were each at the beginning of our professional careers and Fractures served as a safe space to share and grow together as photographers and individuals.

What does working together allow you to do that you couldn’t do by yourselves?
Personally, I don’t think any of us would have been able to grow and develop professionally and individually, as much as we have, if it wasn’t for the collective. Given the competitiveness of the photojournalism industry, not feeling alone can make a very big difference when trying to get attention.

When we created Fractures nearly no-one in the group had any formal photographic education. By and large we were all self-taught. We’d never worked in journalism or been very successful at getting published. As a result, Fractures made the task of starting much easier and much less daunting. We were able to promote each other’s work and the collective gave us, at least, the illusion of some sort of institutional support when approaching editors or funders. The international nature of the collective (we are based in three different countries: Venezuela/France, Spain, Brazil), means we offer a wide variety of material. The collective portfolio embellishes our individual portfolios.

What have you learned from other photographers in the collective? Has working together changed the work you produce?
Each one of Fractures’ members has his own style, his own interests, and his own way of doing things. While our photography is relatively similar aesthetically, there are definite differences. In terms of our photographic process this difference is even more exaggerated. Some of us like to get in close and develop intimate relationships with our subjects, while others prefer a more distanced approach. Some of us shoot from the hip and shoot a lot, while others take hours to get the perfect frame. These differences are great when it comes to exploring one’s own personal creative vision. Talking through our individual processes and aesthetics, we’ve discovered things about our own work which we wouldn’t have discovered alone. If I look at my own photographs over the years, working with the other members of the collective has without doubt made me a better photographer.

What’s the future for the collective?
We believe that it is critical to go beyond the publications, both online and in print, and share our photography in the communities where we live and work. As a result we’ve decided that in the future this will be a principle goal for Fractures. We are currently working on a workshop in one of the communities here in Barcelona where Guillaume has been shooting, and beginning to develop a collaborative/educational project around prisons in the United States.

Find out more about Fractures Photo Collective.


You might like

Boxing trainer in black tracksuit instructing young boxer wearing headgear in gym ring under bright lights.
Sport

Warm, tender photos of London’s amateur boxing scene

Where The Fire Went — Sana Badri’s new photobook captures the wider support networks and community spirit around the grassroots sport, as well as the significance of its competitions to the athletes who take part.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Black and white collage of people with bright yellow "STREET JUSTICE" text overlaid in centre.
Culture

As Kneecap and Bob Vylan face outcry, who really deserves to see justice?

Street Justice — Standing in for regular newsletter columnist Emma Garland, Huck’s Hard Feelings host Rob Kazandjian reflects on splatters of strange catharsis in sport and culture, while urging that the bigger picture remains at the forefront of people’s minds.

Written by: Robert Kazandjian

Man with glasses and beard sitting in green chair, wearing dark blue shirt and jeans in office or waiting room with wood panelling.
Culture

Alex Kazemi’s Y2K period novel reminds us that the manosphere is nothing new

New Millennium Boyz — Replete with MTV and endless band t-shirt references, the book follows three teenage boys living in 1999 USA as they descend into a pit of darkness. We spoke to its author about masculinity, the accelerated aging of teenagers, and the rebirth of subcultures in the algorithm age.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Dimly lit, derelict indoor area with wooden ramps and a lone figure in the distance.
Sport

“Moment of escape”: Maen Hammad’s defiant West Bank skate photos

Landing — Choosing to return to Palestine after growing up in the USA, the photographer found himself drawn to Ramallah’s burgeoning skate scene. His debut monograph explores the city’s rebellious youth, who pull tricks in the face of occupation.

Written by: Miss Rosen

Surreal abstract illustration featuring pink and grey organic shapes and forms on a dark background.
Culture

Inside the weird world of audio porn

Porn without pictures — Storyline-driven and ethical, imageless erotica exploded during the pandemic. Jess Thomson speaks to the creators behind the microphones.

Written by: Jess Thomson

Huck 79

We are all Mia Khalifa

How humour, therapy and community help Huck's latest cover star control her narrative.

Written by: Alya Mooro

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...