today-is-a-good-day

Big Picture: Long journey across the Llanos Orientales

Date:

Share post:

LLaneroweb

Photographer Carlos Pineda has devoted a significant portion of the past two years to the documentation of Colombia’s Eastern plains horsemen. The outcome of his efforts is a remarkable collection, recently presented in the form of a coffee table book titled ‘Faena de Llano.’

Within the book’s 230 pages, this photographer, based in Manizales, skillfully captures the daily lives of these solitary cowboys as they navigate the expansive Eastern plains that span four Colombian departments: Meta, Casanare, Vichada, and Arauca.

Much like the gauchos of Argentina’s vast Pampa who fought alongside General San Martín, the Llaneros of the 19th century stood shoulder to shoulder with Simón Bolívar’s Independence campaign, aiding the Liberator in crossing the flatlands of the Orinoco to reach the foothills of the Andes. Today, the LLaneros maintain their adventurous spirit, herding cattle across great distances to grazing areas. During scorching summer months, the rivers transform into vital liquid highways for thirsty cattle.

Pineda’s “Faena de Llano” serves as a visual testament to these men with an unwavering survival instinct, immortalized through a blend of color and black-and-white photography.

From the break of dawn until nightfall, the photographer accompanied these horsemen as they forged paths through grasslands and the tropical rainforest characteristic of this frontier region. Here, amidst extreme temperatures, rivers teem with electric eels, caimans, and piranhas.

Richard Emblin
Richard Emblin is the director of The City Paper.

Related articles

Bogotá in the eyes of Botero’s “Mona Lisa”

A giant canvas depicting some of Fernando Botero's most famous works covers the façade of the Colombian Congress in Bogotá. The artist will receive the honor of a state funeral on Monday at the Primary Cathedral. Photo: Richard Emblin

20 de Julio: Celebration of Independence and a nation’s heroes

In Bogotá, the Veinte de Julio Independence Day celebrations include a grand military parade, fly-over by the Air Force, and aeronautical display of the Army's helicopter gunships.

Bogotá Fashion Week in the light of Vermeer

Showcasing the creations of 110 independent fashion designers and brands, the sixth edition of Bogotá Fashion Week was inaugurated with a collection by Humberto Cubides and his CUBEL label.

Indigenous Guard occupy Bogotá’s historic Plaza de Bolívar

In a defiant act to pressure the Colombian Congress in approving the National Development Plan and Health Reform of the government of President Gustavo Petro, some 400 members of the Indigenous Guard are occupying the steps of the Capitol.