RIP Santo Salgado?

Like anyone else, I too was blown away by Salgado's work- almost impossible not to be. He took B&W 35mm photography to near Biblical heights and proportions- both in terms of subject matter and artistry. An advocate and champion of nature, the environment, the little man and the forgotten...

Which is why I have such trouble balancing that legacy with his acceptance of financial support for his Genesis project from the Vale mining conglomerate- a megalithic, much feared destroyer of everything he stood for! Pitiful little humans that we are, we uhhh... sometimes make mistakes, and even Santo Salgado was capable of- A Whopper! I would hope such a green washing debacle no longer possible in today's art world thanks to Nan Goldin and her tackling of the Sackler family. 

The problem is not the oil companies or mining companies, but the system of life we’ve created.  
-Sebastião Salgado 

Wow! That's one helluva endless loop set in a circular continuum of non-committal eternity...

Approved by the Salgado's (read it and weep):

For Vale, a mining company committed to sustainable development, the Genesis Project is an exceptional artistic illustration of our company’s mission, vision and values, as well as our commitment to the integrated development of the communities where we operate around the world. The project shows that harmonious coexistence between man and nature is fundamental to the planet’s equilibrium, and plays an informative and educational function, encouraging the preservation of nature.

Not only does VALE provide financial support to “Genesis” but also generously donated seedlings from its own reforestation program to Instituto Terra and assisted in the recovery of hundreds of water sources across the watershed of the River Doce.