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El Plan: On Thin Air

El Plan is a rural settlement situated at an altitude of 2600 meters above sea levels in the mountains of Antioquia in Colombia. These kind of settlements are smaller in size than villages and usually their economy is strongly linked with the provision of fresh food to large urban centres.

The peasants in Antioquia have been historically characterised as farmers, they work their own land and that gives them a good economic status. In peasant society the family tends to be the social circle where people interact the most, this can sometimes create hermetic societies. In El Plan, most of the population comes from this historic peasant culture and although part of them still plays traditional tasks such as growing food and flowers and stock breeding , much of the new generations are inclined to work in services or as employees .

This series of portraits and still life, depicts a changing peasant culture and society in which the family and religion still play a role, but where external influences , especially in the younger generation, have created aesthetic and unique idiosyncrasies.

Rocio

Rocio has lived her whole life in El Plan, she lives off the rent from a little store in the village, her husband used to manage the shop before getting imprisoned. Four years ago her son died due to cirrhosis caused from excessive drinking, she still celebrates a mass every year in his memoir.

Rocio

Chairs

Chairs

Mateo

Mateo Mateo is 16 years old, he dropped school a year ago and wants to become a mechanic, he is a massive fan of the National Football Club, a passion that he inherited from his uncle that died years ago. Football is very popular in rural settlements in Colombia.

Mateo

Jaime

Jaime and his wife grow vegetables and sell them directly to the consumer, with door to door delivery. He says that the job is hard, they usually wake up quite early and their working day typically starts at Four in the morning. However they feel that it is a simple way of living, calm and stable.

Jaime

Flower Cross

El Plan is part of the region of Santa Elena, It is an area famous for its flowers and a vast part of its population depends on the flower trade. In Easter week it is custom to make flower´s crosses an exhibit them in villages. Also, every year the region celebrates a parade were artisanal flower made sculptures are shown.

Flower Cross

Chavela

Chavela is 40 years old and recently she has moved out her parend´s house with her two kids to leave independently. She works as a cook at the local school.

Chavela

Sandra

Sandra and her son Mateo live with Sandra’s mother and her untie Silvia, she is studying to become a social worker.

Sandra

Flowers

Flowers

Ramiro

Ramiro lives with his wife in his mother’s house, They lived altogether, until Ramiro´s mother passed away 5 years ago at the age of 90. Ramiro feels that is in his rights to Inherit the house and the land that his mother left to him, however he is in litigation with his 3 brothers. The land in this area is rapidly increasing in value . Ramiro has worked the land since he was 5 years old, he grows flowers and sells them every thursday in down town.

Ramiro

Daniela

Daniela is 15 years old, She goes to the local school and has never shown interest in keeping the family tradition of flower trade.

Daniela

Yellow cartucho

Esteban

Flowers

Gladys lives with her son, she is currently unemployed and survives thanks to her family economic help.

Gladys

Window

Window

Silvia

Silvia is unemployed, however she lives out from the money that she gets from renting out her house to people from the city over the weekends. Part of the village economy depends on weekends tourism of people from the city.

Silvia