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2011

Press Release

Latin American Photography in Black and White, 1924 - 2010

From April 28 to May 23, 2011. Exhibition opening: May 5, from 6-8 pm
Location: The Gabbaron Foundation, Carriage House Center for the Arts, 149 East 38th Street, New York NY 10016
                                  
New York NY. May, 2011. Gabarrón Foundation, in collaboration with the Art Gallery Throckmorton Fine Art, New York, presents the exhibition Latin American Photography in Black and White, 1924 - 2010, whose opening will be held on May 5th 6-8 pm. This exhibition is a sample of contemporary and vintage photographs created in the last 90 years and brings together the artistic work of ten of the best photographers who are related to Latin America, either by descent or photographic subject matter, and offer unique perspectives on the daily life and customs of people from the Latin American region, Haiti and Spain. Their photographs offer an approach that is fraught with mystery, romance and spirituality.

The exhibition will showcase the work of artists such as Tina Modotti (Italian, b.1896/ d.Mexico City, 1942), a woman ahead of her time and a revolutionary activist who fought for the rights of the dispossessed class in Mexico, whose photographs serve to magnify the underlying intricacies of ordinary people and objects. Tina Modotti was a friend and mentor of Mexican photographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo (Mexico City, 1902 -2002), who approached Mexican identity, its landscape and culture from a perspective that extended beyond simple documentation, infusing great imagination and ideological connotations into his reflections of urban life, religion and the traditions of his country’s people. His wife, Lola Alvarez Bravo (Jalisco, Mexico, b.1907 – d.1993) was also a key figure in the artistic renaissance in post-revolutionary Mexico. Her focus included a wide variety of subjects, creating documentary images of daily life in towns and city streets of Mexico, as well as portraits of great leaders from various countries and important personalities, such as Frida Kahlo, which can be seen in this exhibition.

The exhibition also features more recent photography. Photographs by Mario Cravo Neto (Salvador, Brazil, b.1947 – d.2009) offer intimate and meditative impressions that are enriched by the confluence of northeastern Brazilian cultural, ethnic and racial influences, mixing the tradition in Brazil of the indigenous population's Portuguese and African legacy that arose through cultural colonization. Mario Cravo Neto’s images are characterized by a steep contrast of light and shadow, the manipulation of which carries to the fore each photograph’s key aspects. Photographs by Graciela Iturbide (Mexico City, 1942) mix history and lyricism in portraiture by combining scenes that are reminiscent of different cultures from her native Mexico, and presented from the artist’s perspective. As if it were a dream, surreal and extraordinary facets emerge within each scene, which may seem ordinary and insignificant at first glance. Likewise, photographer Flor Garduño (Mexico City, b.1957) represents Surrealism in Mexican photography by capturing unexpected scenes of life in small Mexican towns and cities, often imparting an air of mystery and curiosity in her work.

Ruven Afanador (Bucaramanga, Colombia, b.1959), whose photographic vision has been heavily influenced by the contemporary fashion world, is represented in the exhibition through select photographs. Afanador’s images – some of which were included in the artist’s publication and exhibition, Mil Besos, and his Torero series – feature cultural traditions as represented through costumes associated with their performance. The photographer nods to Latin American and Spanish cultural heritage by featuring contemporary celebrities – who practice Spain’s traditional Flamenco dance form and the Toreodor bull fights of Latin America and Spain – in lavish costume based on traditional design; each subject in these photographs can be likened to a high fashion model posing in an haute couture fashion show with the world as a catwalk. 

Photography by Mario Algaze (Havana, Cuba, b.1947) presents Latin American cities as the best example where modernity and cultural tradition are interlaced in contemporary life. His works reveal a calculated perspective through which Algaze effectively creates a mysterious sense of space and time by establishing a visceral reality wherein the viewer can experience the calm and slow pace of events. Alternately, Christian Cravo (Salvador, Brazil, b.1974) is inspired by Haiti’s landscapes, displaying relationships between man and the natural world through artfully rendered scenes of sensorial interaction. Marilyn Bridges (New Jersey, USA, b.1948) presents the extraordinary power of nature and the passage of time in her aerial landscapes. She visually documents the existence of unique places before they disappear due to natural erosion, or the negligence of humans, over time.

The Gabarron Foundation – Carriage House Center for the Arts is a non-profit institution and international center specializing in art exhibitions and other cultural activities. Since 2002, we have achieved in offering a platform in the United States for spreading Spanish Culture, and above all, contemporary art. At the same time, our organization promotes exchange and understanding between Spanish and American cultures, providing a space for interaction and for an enhanced appreciation of emerging and established cultural figures from both countries.

For further information and/or images, please contact:
Curatorial and Exhibitions department,
Tel:  212 573 6968        ext. 10