Between Horror and Obscene Beauty
The Passion of Photojournalism during the War on Drugs in Mexico (2006-2012)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3000619 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Iván Ruiz (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 215-229 |
| Publication date | 2018-04-03 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1356-9325 • E-ISSN: 1469-9575 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13569325.2018.1447446 |
| OpenAlex | W2795569970 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 4 |
This article examines a group of photographs bearing a strong violent content that were published in print and digital media as part of the coverage of the ‘war against drugs’ in Mexico: an armed conflict initiated by the central government in December 2006. This military action was the first step in a process of militarization affecting several states, in which an attempt was made to dismantle territorial pacts between cartels, to control the illegal traffic in drugs and, supposedly, to put an end to the use and production of drugs among the population. This war gave rise to one of the bloodiest episodes of contemporary Mexico in which drug cartels reproduced and invented new methods of torture that were used not only upon the gunmen of rival cartels but also on a significant number of civilians. In the coverage of these events, not all photojournalists reacted to this upsurge in violence in a ‘sensationalist’ manner; several set out to produce images from unusual points of view. In particular, I shall analyze how certain images represent violence in a tense relationship with artistic iconography, upsetting parameters of horror and beauty in the public sphere
Art · Art history · Beauty · Human rights · Iconography · Media studies · Militarization · Photography · Photojournalism · Political science · Politics · Population · Sensationalism · Sociology · Torture · Visual arts · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Demography · History · Law · Photography and Visual Culture
| Citations per year | 0.38 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2018 - 2023 (6) |
| Highly cited | No |