Mary, Carlos' mother

by Alfredo Srur

Alfredo Srur’s Heridas is a visual exploration of life on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. A visit to the San Fernando neighborhood in 2002 marked the photographer’s first encounter with a social environment dramatically dissimilar to his own, and located just a few kilometers away from the city center. Driven by a mix of curiosity and fascination, Srur spent the next eight years of his life investigating the social dynamics of the neighborhood. The photographs in this essay bear testimony to a world unknown to most of us; a world where harshness and affection live side by side. They invite us to enter the realm of the private and personal, and to come into contact with the feelings, conflicts and choices of the individuals in them depicted. Carlos, a local gang leader and the protagonist of this series, is also the gatekeeper between his territory and us. Ultimately, he was the one who invited Srur –and us– to enter his circle and to experience life through his eyes.