Sandra Cattaneo Adorno: Águas de Ouro

In her latest monograph, SANDRA CATTANEO ADORNO explores the unique character of Rio de Janeiro through images that combine moments of street photography with abstract, lyrical compositions. Adorno’s photographs emphasize the human body which, isolated and transformed by the strong golden light, contrasts against the natural beauty of Rio’s beaches and acquires a symbolic dimension. As a result, Adorno’s beguiling images not only capture people and moments with visual maturity and acuity, but also evoke something quintessential about the city, something a little darker: the bittersweet yearning that Brazilians call saudade, which hints at other levels of reality, the invisible ones of poetry and magic.