
Photographer Guillaume Bonn grew up in Kenya surrounded by the overwhelming social gap between the countries rich and poor. Bonn’s photo series Silent Lives, gives the viewer a glimpse of this economic crisis of the workers for the Kenyan elite. The top 10 percent of Kenyans live in beautiful mansions and control most of the land and money. On the other hand, 45 percent of the people live below the poverty line. In many cases the wealthy are not aware of the huge economic gap. They are not exposed to poverty themselves even though their cooks, drivers and housekeepers live in poverty. Although his photos show an obvious clash between black and white and rich and poor, the purpose of his photos are “to bring in the foreground people who spend their entire lives in the background managing other people’s lives — and in the process, find out about their lives, dreams, and hopes” (Forde).  In the photo selected from the series, the bright colors, symmetry and luxury are a few of the things that make this photo so striking and further tell the story of the subjects. 

The first thing that attracts the viewer to this photo is the immediate pop of color as well as the contrast of black and white. The two parallel white columns on opposite sides of the photo draw the viewer’s eyes and leads them to the subjects that separate them. In the middle of the photo stands the three subjects. The first subject that stands out is the oversized red beach ball. The most striking feature about the red ball is how peacefully it sits on top of the water and how equally spaced the distance is between the ball and the maid beside it. All three subjects have an equal placement almost as if they were lined up in order. The bright red color of the ball is highlighted by its contrast with the bright blue of the pool. Another contrast shown in the photo is the difference in the maid’s uniforms. The maid in the middle has a bright white apron and shoes while the maid next to her has dark shoes and a black and white striped apron. Both maids are wearing identical dresses underneath. This variation in color shows that although they work at the same household they might have different jobs. The use of bold colors and black and white contrast draws the viewer’s eyes to the subjects of the photo as well as highlight the luxury of the home. 

Although this photo is not vertically symmetrical it is horizontally symmetrical. The photo has order and sequence but it is not perfectly equal. The photo is asymmetrical but still has a very clean order. The photo appears to be almost cut in half down the middle horizontally by the edge of the pool. The edge of the pool cuts the photo from the white floor that the housekeepers are on to their reflection in the bright blue pool. The reflection itself is symmetrical to what is going on above the surface of the pool. In the reflection you can see the three subjects of the photo. The reflection adds a visually pleasing aspect to the photo as well as hint at the economic problem in Kenya. To me, the reflection shows that although the house appears perfect there is more than just luxury below the surface. On the outside everything is well groomed, and rich in luxury when in reality the people that create that illusion are the ones living in extreme poverty. The Kenyan elite are unaware of the huge economic gap within their own country simply because they are not aware of what is going on. They only see the luxury and easy living of their own lives and do not see below the surface. Their workers however are surrounded by riches during their job but at the end of the day have to go home to a life of poverty. The use of symmetry 

 

Another aspect that makes this photo so interesting is the apparent luxury of the photo. Almost immediately after looking at the photo the viewer is able to tell that this photo was taken at a place of wealth. The pool and landscaping is perfectly kept and everything appears to be clean and in top condition. The house is modern with all white features and a large glass wall that looks out over the huge yard. Everything is lush and vibrant. However, in the middle of the photo stands two maids. Their uniforms and facial expressions tell the viewer that they are workers for the residence. They don’t fit in with the rest of the elegant surrounding and seem out of place. Their uniforms contrast with their modern and expensive surroundings. This contrast of a life of luxury and the life of work is yet another element that makes this photo so striking to the viewer.

In conclusion, this photo’s colors, symmetry and luxury add appeal to the photo as well as tell the story behind it. The colors show the beauty of the landscape as well as the differences between each subject. The symmetry of the photo is unique and eye catching while the reflection of the pool symbolizes the economic gap in Kenya. The luxury of the photo shows the viewer what it looks like to live as one of Kenya’s elite. 
