JUNE´S FEATURED DOOR OF THE MONTH QUITO – ECUADOR

June 4, 2018 SouthAmerica

Is South America a closed door society? A question worth pondering if you went through the 300 photographs in our book Doors of South America. Of course, it is harder to photograph an open door. But culturally, doors are mostly closed in South America. The people close themselves off to strangers, to their neighbors, and to their government. The doors definitely serve for security. Which brings us to questions about the dominantly Catholic societies of South America- is there no love for their fellow man? What happened to the sermon about the good Samaritan? A culture that has people watching action-less while one person harms and robs another, not wanting to get involved. A culture that goes to church on Sunday and then robs one another on Monday? Cheating on their taxes…taking bribes….the word in Spanish is ¨”aprovechar”, to take advantage. Doors are to keep one´s advantage and to stop others from aprovecharse de la situación.

Perhaps it is the heavy reinforced aspect of the historic doors of central Quito that brings one to consider the defense measures and why a community would have to chronically behave in such a negative manner. In fact, throughout much of urban Quito they have perfected their defenses, installing stronger measures against their thieving society with businesses having roll-down steel doors to cover their regular doors. Same with the homes- metal grates locked over their locked door. To a certain extent, photographing interesting doors in many parts of all countries in South America means wandering about and seeking out the rare door that was not blocked by extra security measures or hiding behind corrugated steel. It is also about finding doors that people have not vandalized, which face it, in many places, there is no respect for other people´s property.

Our work Doors of South America is strongly biased to show the minority higher quality examples in each country that is awash of people trying to constantly take from one another, and not in a nice way. I am still peeved at the contents of my daypack being stolen while visiting Ecuador! They made it personal, and Ecuador can wear its reputation as a nation of thieves. The Spanish started these cities with heavy doors and a heavy lash; subsequently the communities have done little in the way to rise above their beginnings- they hide behind closed doors.

We have found the doors with extra craftsmanship, with history, and worthwhile expression through difficult searching, and being selective. These doors are interesting for what secret they may be hiding while at the same time they are troubling for what crimes society continues to perpetuate and abide. Doors are symbols and a real measure that says do not trust the violent upright monkeys that descended from the trees; they are all guilty one way or another.