Mil Besos

Book excerpt: "With Mil Besos, Colombian-born photographer Ruven Afanador adds an extraordinary collection of images of the women of flamenco to the canon of creations inspired by both this venerated art form and the remarkable passion that many find to be an archetype of the iconic Spanish spirit." "In high contrast black-and-white photographs shot under the bright sunlight and set against the austere landscape and incandescent walls of Andalusia in Southern Spain, Afanador gives us his lush and primeval vision ofwomanhood. In Mil Besos, the women emerge from Afanador's imagination as fantastic sketches of romantic images drawn from childhood memories in South America and in particular by his first encounter with the erotic energy of the bailora Maria Benitez. In return, Benitez and the other dancers featured here grant Afanador license to play with outrageous and irreverent scenarios. The legendary flamenco dancer Matilde Coral describes Mil Besos as achieving for the performers "the best mirror of their beauty in its purest essence. Afanador captures a haunting vision of the mystique, allure, and soulful yearning that these beautiful women possess with startling photographic clarity."" "With Mil Besos, Afanador joins a tradition notably found in the works of the filmmaker Luis Bunuel, the composer Manuel de Falla, and the poet Federico Garcia Lorca. This body of work is an insightful expression into the extraordinary visual language of the gifted and accomplished Ruven Afanador, a photographer of lavish imagination, technical prowess, and profound sense of self." --Book Jacket.