Photographic Complementarity, and the Story of Abel Pavon

Abstract

This article argues for photographic complementarity in anthropological research as a means to avoid singular representations—in other words, to incorporate images into diverse and juxtaposing interpretative, explanatory, methodological and representational practices. Through the story of Abel Pavon, a Paraguayan campesino who suffered a horrible accident which changed his life, this article shows how photographs contribute to different intertextual meanings. The complementarity of different mediums allows for a glimpse into the otherwise inaccessible world of Abel’s identity formation. The intertextuality of text with images allows us to explore the different emerging meanings that open a window of understanding onto Abel’s life struggles and his sense of identity. The article begins with a brief discussion of the need for complementarity and the dangers of single stories in anthropology; later, Abel’s story is presented and then discussed in terms of photographic and intertextual meanings.