The eye of the twentieth century in Mexico and a man that remains one of my favourite visual communicators. Here are a few things I've learned from his work:
It’s one of the pleasures of Substack - fellow Substackers sharing the photographers that they admire and I know very little about. It’s filling important gaps in my photographic learning.
Great point about photographing backs. I think that in todays world, in which digital cameras have allowed us to take photos from a distance, backs indicate a distance that’s too safe. A photo that doesn’t really go there. For Alvarez Bravo, it’s different. He captures mystery, allure, his own insatiable need to know more through the backs he photographed.
Also, shout out to his wife Lola Alvarez Bravo, a great photographer in her own right.
I do like Los Agachados 1934 quite a lot and False Moon. I'm curious: does a photographer (or artist of any type, teally need to know or be embedded in their country to create? Having a deeply personal vision, divorced from the entanglements the day, or a globalist counters his quote. Think Salgado or Nachtwey.
Yes, they're wonderful social statements. That's a very good question Mark. I think it helps, being a documentalist and having something to say about the things that bother you like the photographers you mentioned. Picasso's Guernika is a great example of this. But not every photographer has to have that connection, it can be something that goes the opposite way and a photographer uses the creative work to disconnect from that reality. Unfortunately, many times these great projects come with a hidden agenda behind and a large corporation funding the projects. I guess it's down to rhe artists and photographers values in that case.
It’s one of the pleasures of Substack - fellow Substackers sharing the photographers that they admire and I know very little about. It’s filling important gaps in my photographic learning.
Absolutely, I like how much there is to discover about each other, our tastes and the artists we like!
I have not heard of him before but great work. Thanks for sharing.
No problem, Charlie, hope this article makes you dive deeper into his work. He's a legend!
yes! Such a legend!
🤘
Great point about photographing backs. I think that in todays world, in which digital cameras have allowed us to take photos from a distance, backs indicate a distance that’s too safe. A photo that doesn’t really go there. For Alvarez Bravo, it’s different. He captures mystery, allure, his own insatiable need to know more through the backs he photographed.
Also, shout out to his wife Lola Alvarez Bravo, a great photographer in her own right.
Thanks Gui, yes, I agree. I think with intent and confidence like Alvarez Bravo is a good example of how to do it.
Lola was great too!
I do like Los Agachados 1934 quite a lot and False Moon. I'm curious: does a photographer (or artist of any type, teally need to know or be embedded in their country to create? Having a deeply personal vision, divorced from the entanglements the day, or a globalist counters his quote. Think Salgado or Nachtwey.
Yes, they're wonderful social statements. That's a very good question Mark. I think it helps, being a documentalist and having something to say about the things that bother you like the photographers you mentioned. Picasso's Guernika is a great example of this. But not every photographer has to have that connection, it can be something that goes the opposite way and a photographer uses the creative work to disconnect from that reality. Unfortunately, many times these great projects come with a hidden agenda behind and a large corporation funding the projects. I guess it's down to rhe artists and photographers values in that case.
What do you think?
Enjoyed this. I worked on a book on the often overshadowed Lola Álvarez Bravo years ago at Aperture. Both Álvarez Bravos were amazing!
Speaking of backs, have you seen Ron Jude’s Executive series?
Thank you Rob, I'm glad you did. That must have been an interesting project to work on and I agree, Lola deserves a ton more credit than she gets.
I've seen Jude's series. They're visually interesting and definitely have a story to tell. I like it when it's done like that.
Great read, Xavi. Will check out Bravo as his photographs are intriguing.
Thanks Marcel, I'm sure you'll enjoy his work