Helping people through art.0:02
If a passerby sees a photo of a skeletal young girl in Manila pasted next to a bustling restaurant in Hong Kong and stops to think, then this piece of street art will serve its purpose.0:12
This is the work of Cade Ashton, a man who photographs the world's most dangerous slums and posts them in cities, turning the world into his very own art gallery.0:26
Cade Ashton's passion started over a decade ago when he began photographing the graffiti on trains around his home in Canada.0:39
Then, after university, he moved to Taiwan on a whim.0:49
This was where he discovered that capturing people's lives on camera was what really interested him.0:54
Since then, Ashton has travelled to Iran, Colombia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and more than two dozen other countries, purposely looking for areas that many dare not go.1:01
He believes that poverty-stricken nooks and crannies make the heart of a city, and are what give it its culture, flavour, and colour.1:15
He has been refused taxi rides to these areas many times, but Ashton believes that the people who live there are the friendliest and most welcoming of all.1:24
Despite owning very little, they offer whatever hospitality they can, whether it's a small plate of aubergine fritters or simply a warm smile.1:35
If he plays some basketball with them, tells them a joke, or perhaps helps them to tile their roof, they quickly open up to him and are often excited to be captured on camera.1:46
Sometimes Ashton even asks them which city they want to be displayed in— Los Angeles is the most popular.1:58
After capturing his unique, breathtaking photos, Ashton pastes enlarged prints of them in unexpected locations.2:06
Such as train yards, slums, back streets, even the Great Wall of China.2:15
He spends his days searching for perfect spots that either contrast with what is shown in the photos or complement the colours in them.2:22
One of his images, for instance, shows a poor Colombian boy picking through rubbish below a designer boutique sign.2:31
Ideal positions are often tricky to reach, One time he wouldn't have been able to paste his photo if a lady living in the building hadn't held on to him from the inside.2:40
Ashton's current project in Hong Kong involves plastering a caption alongside the photo about the subject and their life situation, in both English and Chinese.2:52
'If you tell someone a personal story of poverty,' he explains, they are more receptive to it.3:05
His aim is to make people think about poverty, even just for a moment.3:12
One day Ashton took a long walk in Manila and ended up in one of the city's crowded slums.3:18
He came across a group of 50 families living in shacks under a billboard and was appalled that these people had been left to survive with no running water, electricity, or sanitation.3:25
He realised that such poor communities would continue to live forgotten lives under motorways and besides railway tracks, without a voice, unless they were helped.3:38
This inspired him to start operating his first art workshop.3:49
For several months, Ashton held classes for groups of children including drawing, T-shirt painting, and breakdancing, followed by a hearty meal.3:55
His classes brought out the children's creativity, and Ashton's encouragement to dream big had a positive effect on their outlook on life.4:06
His hard work didn't go unnoticed.4:16
One charity official said, "He goes to the most dangerous areas in Manila.4:19
If Ashton had more funding, he would love to expand his art teaching project internationally.4:27
Also, if he can find the estimated $50,000 needed, his next project will be to shoot 10 of the world's poorest slums and paste them in the world's 10 richest cities.4:34
For the time being, though, he will continue to make the world's slums his canvas.4:48
And produce his art with a social conscience.4:53
Клик по слову — перевод и «+ в мои слова» (в любом режиме). Клик по строке или таймкоду — перейти к этому месту записи.