Sergio Dorantes
Encyclopedia
Sergio Dorantes Zurita is a Mexican
photojournalist, currently jailed in Mexico City for the murder of his wife, Alejandra Dehessa in 2003. The case has been highly controversial, not least because of the lack of forensic evidence and the only witness who places Dorantes at the scene of the crime has since recanted his testimony. Dorantes is currently fighting for exoneration, having been extradited back to Mexico City from the United States in 2008.
In his 24-year career, Dorantes' photos appeared in scores of major US and European periodicals,
among them: newspapers such as the New York Times
; Washington Post; Los Angeles Times
; Sunday Times
, Independent
, and Sunday Telegraph (London); the Chicago Tribune
; El País (Madrid); and magazines including Newsweek
, Time
, Forbes
, Fortune
, BusinessWeek
, GEO
, Elle
, and Paris Match
.
Born in the outskirts of Mexico City
to an indigent family, as a young man Dorantes emigrated to Europe where he studied industrial design. While working as an auto mechanic for Formula One
racing, he discovered photography
. He began his career as a paparazzo
, and then as a photojournalist for various news and entertainment publications based in London. After living there for 17 years, he returned to Mexico City where he continued to work for an array of international publications.
Over the course of his career, Dorantes has covered five Mexican presidential
elections
. Many of his photos of presidents of Mexico have appeared on the cover of magazines such as Newsweek, BusinessWeek, and Forbes, and the front page of the New York Times.
Dorantes is the only Mexican photographer to garner assignments worldwide with major international publications.
Dorantes has undertaken important photographic projects such as the documentation of Native Americans in the United States
, the Tarahumara
people of northern Mexico, the Zapatista
uprising in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas
, a long-term project on the Mexican elections from 1982 onwards, deforestation
in Central America
, women in Islam
both in Indonesia
and Malaysia,
and the effect of modern technology on the livelihood of the traditional weavers of Lake Toba
, Sumatra
.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
photojournalist, currently jailed in Mexico City for the murder of his wife, Alejandra Dehessa in 2003. The case has been highly controversial, not least because of the lack of forensic evidence and the only witness who places Dorantes at the scene of the crime has since recanted his testimony. Dorantes is currently fighting for exoneration, having been extradited back to Mexico City from the United States in 2008.
In his 24-year career, Dorantes' photos appeared in scores of major US and European periodicals,
among them: newspapers such as the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
; Washington Post; Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
; Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, and Sunday Telegraph (London); the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
; El País (Madrid); and magazines including Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
, Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
, BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
, GEO
GEO (magazine)
GEO is a family of educational monthly magazines similar to the National Geographic magazine. It is known for its profound reports, which are accompanied by opulent pictures.The first edition appeared in Germany in 1976...
, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, and Paris Match
Paris Match
Paris Match is a French weekly magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. It was founded in 1949 by the industrialist Jean Prouvost....
.
Born in the outskirts of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
to an indigent family, as a young man Dorantes emigrated to Europe where he studied industrial design. While working as an auto mechanic for Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing, he discovered photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. He began his career as a paparazzo
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
, and then as a photojournalist for various news and entertainment publications based in London. After living there for 17 years, he returned to Mexico City where he continued to work for an array of international publications.
Over the course of his career, Dorantes has covered five Mexican presidential
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
elections
Elections in Mexico
Elections in Mexico determine who, on the national level, takes the position of the head of state – the president – as well as the legislature.The President of Mexico is elected for a six-year term by the people...
. Many of his photos of presidents of Mexico have appeared on the cover of magazines such as Newsweek, BusinessWeek, and Forbes, and the front page of the New York Times.
Dorantes is the only Mexican photographer to garner assignments worldwide with major international publications.
Dorantes has undertaken important photographic projects such as the documentation of Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, the Tarahumara
Tarahumara
The Rarámuri or Tarahumara are a Native American people of northwestern Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running ability...
people of northern Mexico, the Zapatista
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
uprising in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, a long-term project on the Mexican elections from 1982 onwards, deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, women in Islam
Women in Islam
The study of women in Islam investigates the role of women within the religion of Islam. The complex relationship between women and Islam is defined by Islamic texts, the history and culture of the Muslim world...
both in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Malaysia,
and the effect of modern technology on the livelihood of the traditional weavers of Lake Toba
Lake Toba
Lake Toba is a lake and supervolcano. The lake is 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres at its deepest point. Located in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about , the lake stretches from to...
, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
.
Exhibits
- Asahi Pentax Gallery, London, England, one-man show. Photographer from the third world, 1980.
- Half a Penny Gallery, Dublin, Ireland, one-man show. Vision of a Red Indian, 1981.
- Biennial of Photography, Mexico City, Mexico. Collective, 1991.
- Mexican Museum of Arts, Chicago, Illinois. Día de Los Muertos: Where Past & Present Meet, 1996.
- University of Mexico City, CETIS, Mexico City, Mexico. Views from the World, 1999.
- Universidad IberoamericanaUniversidad IberoamericanaThe Ibero-American University is a Mexican private institution of higher education sponsored by the Society of Jesus...
, Mexico City, Mexico, one-man show. Pictures and Covers of World Events, 2000.
External links
- http://www.sergiodorantes.com/