Sebastián Bruno: Peripheral Life
For his book Ta-ra, photographer Sebastián Bruno spent nine years shaping a body of work that offers quietly observed, endearing portraits of working-class communities across several cities in South Wales.
By Gaia Squarci. Photographs by Sebastián Bruno
In these circles, “ta-ra” is a familiar way of saying goodbye. The book resists the conventions of social documentary that foreground specific themes like poverty, unemployment, early pregnancy, often associated with the region. By focusing instead on daily life, everything unfolds through carefully observed details.
Turning the pages, the viewer becomes a welcomed outsider, catching glimpses of lives that rarely register beyond their own neighbourhoods, revealing a version of the UK far removed from the images that typically circulate. Sebastián Bruno’s approach highlights the importance of being in the moment, avoiding additional commentary.
“From the bar I watch a man in his sixties who has just walked in. He is wearing a shabby suit and sunglasses that are too small for his face. Without saying a word, he makes his way to the makeshift stage. He picks up the microphone. The few people in the bar remain oblivious to the scene, their eyes fixed on their half-finished pints. The music starts.”
The book ‘Ta-ra’ is published by Ediciones Anómalas and available at the price of €40.
