No Dar Papaya

No Dar Papaya is a celebration of the beauty, diversity, and distinctive character of Colombia. Created over eleven years (2003-2013) with a Polaroid camera and film, the work offers an alternative vision of Colombia-- an alternative to the images of war, violence, and drug trafficking that dominate the media and have become cliche. I love the softness of Polaroid and the unusual color pallet It seemed the perfect medium for what I wanted to convey in Colombia. I like the impressionistic qualities of Polaroid-- it puts more emphasis on the emotional rather than the descriptive content of the images. The work was first shared with the public in Colombia through a traveling exhibition and publication of the book, and now it is available worldwide: www.placerpress.com "We are surprised by Matt O'Brien's work, by his capacity to illustrate in the landscape of each region he visited, its essential features from where the protagonists come, the humanity that shines in their faces, their kindness, their desire to be observed in a different way." ––Juan Alberto Gaviria, from the introduction