Cities at Work: A Photo Essay
The Trabajadores series of photographs aims to bring attention to the people who society tends to easily brush over. Yet these people are fundamental to shaping the world that we live in, from the ground we walk on, to the roofs over our heads. Through depicting these people at work, we are able to appreciate the challenging work that they do, and at the same time question their frequent treatment as nothing more than cogs in a machine.
–Diego Torres-Carrión
This photo, taken in the Chueca neighborhood of Madrid, depicts one worker supporting another as he paints the side of a building. The act of bracing the ladder reflects the trust and companionship that can be found within working communities: the worker at the bottom of the ladder is in charge of the safety of his colleague. The parking sign which hangs next to them also is representative of the communal aspect of their work, with the word público, or public, clearly visible.
Taken in Barrio de las Letras neighborhood in Madrid, this image captures some of the dangers that can present themselves to workers. The worker leans precariously out of the safety of the scaffolding, grabbing onto a rope from above. The danger contrasts with the seemingly soft texture of the tarp which hides the construction of the building behind it.