The Liquid Serpent

The Amazon is neither man nor animal.

The Amazon is neither man nor animal. She is nature’s hybrid.

Mirrors of man’s contradiction, of a world to which she belongs and yet remains distant. The Amazon bears forth over-stimulated cities pervaded by a savage force, which exist simultaneously as survival mechanisms. Even disintegrated indigenous groups in the jungle, separated by language but intimately linked by memory, share the same myths and religious convictions.

But the accelerated transformation process lived by the Amazon depends as much on internal natural forces as it does on the international world order. Since its designation as one of the seven natural wonder of the world in 2011, global attention is newly aimed at the Amazon rainforest, revitalizing the discourse about the practices employed in the area.

The historic moment consolidates an extractive hegemonic model with a progressive acculturation of the indigenous communities that need for medicine, machetes, and batteries for their lanterns, generating processes of radical transformation of their native culture.

At the same time, the participation of new social actors with strong global economic interests deepens the ecological imbalance as they disregard biodiversity and provoke the degradation of the environment.

Gold, petroleum, the trafficking of exotic species, deforestation on a massive scale, and the introduction of cattle are only some of the threats to sustainability. The courses of sweet water are under grave risk of contamination and, consequently, life itself.

In this transformation of life’s course, gradual but constant, the Amazon also modifies that which draws close to her.

© Nicolas Janowski - Peru, 2012. The Amazons
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Peru, 2012. The Amazons

© Nicolas Janowski - Aerial view of the Napo River. Beni Region. Ecuador. 2011
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Aerial view of the Napo River. Beni Region. Ecuador. 2011

© Nicolas Janowski - Image from the The Liquid Serpent photography project
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Transvestites throughout The Amazons came to live in Iquitos for the tolerance associated whith the city. Althought their work is mostly confined to prostitituion or as cookers in restaurants at the city. Dulce Maria (Sweet Maria, 24yrs old) and Jenny (19years old) both works together on the streets at night. Each customer pays between 10 and 20 soles (between 4 and 8 U.S. dollars). Peru, Loreto Region, Iquitos. 2012

© Nicolas Janowski - Peru, 2012. The Amazons
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Peru, 2012. The Amazons

© Nicolas Janowski - Bolivia, 2012. The Amazons
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Bolivia, 2012. The Amazons

© Nicolas Janowski - A Quichua Chaman in the rainforest. Napo Region. Ecuador. 2011
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A Quichua Chaman in the rainforest. Napo Region. Ecuador. 2011

© Nicolas Janowski - Napo Region. Ecuador. The Amazons. 2011
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Napo Region. Ecuador. The Amazons. 2011

© Nicolas Janowski - View of the sky in Coca. Napo region, The Amazons. 2011
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View of the sky in Coca. Napo region, The Amazons. 2011

© Nicolas Janowski - Ecuador, 2011. The Amazons
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Ecuador, 2011. The Amazons

© Nicolas Janowski - Image from the The Liquid Serpent photography project
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The introduction of cattle was given by the Jesuits at the same time they created aboriginal reductions in the Beni region at the end of XVII century. Bolivia. 2012

© Nicolas Janowski - Amazon River. Iquitos, Loreto region. The Amazons. 2012.
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Amazon River. Iquitos, Loreto region. The Amazons. 2012.

© Nicolas Janowski - Iquitos, Peru. 2012.
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Iquitos, Peru. 2012.

© Nicolas Janowski - Jaguar. Iquitos, Loreto region. Peru. The Amazons. 2012.
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Jaguar. Iquitos, Loreto region. Peru. The Amazons. 2012.

© Nicolas Janowski - Image from the The Liquid Serpent photography project
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Moxeño Dancer. Moxeños adopted elements of Catholic Jesuits adapting them to traditional culture. City of Trininidad. Boliva. The Amazons. 2012.

© Nicolas Janowski - Natural gas is burned off 24 hours a day in oil refineries alongside the Via Auca. Napo region, Ecuador. 2011
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Natural gas is burned off 24 hours a day in oil refineries alongside the Via Auca. Napo region, Ecuador. 2011

© Nicolas Janowski - Image from the The Liquid Serpent photography project
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The introduction of cattle was given by the Jesuits at the same time they created aboriginal reductions in the Beni region at the end of XVII century. Bolivia. 2012

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