Looking In, Looking Out: Latin American Photography

The scenes of Latin American culture, politics, environments, and individuals are explored in depth in Looking In, Looking Out: Latin American Photography. This exhibition, drawn from the permanent collection of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, highlights works by Latin American photographers, or artists who have adopted it as home, so that those from outside the region may look into the lives of Latin America. Through the lens of nostalgia, propaganda, a populist aesthetic, and changing perspectives, the iconic and emerging photographers illustrate the diverse but often similar spirits of countries in the region.

 Artworks from Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, and other nations, demonstrate the experiences and traditions of diverse cultures in Latin America as the photographers explore their history, navigate the present, and look to the future. Rather than a survey exhibition of photographs from each country, the images are selected singular views exhibited to engage viewers in the dynamic complexities but also the universality of Latin American life. The photographers capture their homes for their people, but if the outsider immerses the mind in the region one gets a fascinating glimpse into Latin America. Looking In, Looking Out: Latin American Photography reveals the sensitive and intimate relationship between photographer and home country.