Sergio Purtell arrived in the United States in the early 1970s after fleeing the impending dictatorship in Chile under General Augusto Pinochet. In America, he caught a glimpse of the American dream and set out to understand the nation’s complexities as an outsider who had experienced the volatility of power and the resilience of the displaced.
Between 1977 and the early 1990s, Sergio Purtell’s American photographs captured life in a country engrossed in its conflicting narratives of freedom and conquest. His images, ranging from collective joy to rural tranquility, depict fairs, parades, and everyday outdoor moments that are both ordinary and unique. Purtell’s work seeks out the subtle emotions that permeate public spaces with intimacy and interaction, highlighting the human tenderness that emerges during rare moments of repose.

“The first thing I noticed was the absence of walls. In Santiago, Chile, homes were closed off and private. But in Hamilton, Ohio—where I arrived in 1972 as a 17-year-old exchange student—houses were separated only by white picket fences. These fences were easy to jump over, and neighbors were welcoming. In Chile, my knowledge of America came from its TV shows, films, music, and the idea of freedom and opportunity. The pristine white fences seemed to embody that promise of attainable affluence. But beyond them, I saw a vast, enigmatic landscape where the American dream intersected with reality.
“Today, this country is not the same as the one I first encountered. A wall is being built along the southern border. As I took these pictures, a wall was being torn down in East Berlin. ‘Moral Minority’ reflects on this collapse of moral integrity. It pieces together stories from those pushed to the margins and those who can attest to the complex struggle between right and wrong.”