Past exhibit: Witnesses to History / Testigos de la Historia

To coincide with the October 8 reception and program, an ONLINE EXHIBITION of Testigos de la historia / Witnesses to History is now on the Web. Created by Tara Spies, evening reference assistant at the Alkek Library and a prospective graduate of the School of Information at UT-Austin, the internet show complements the gallery exhibit and features selected images from each of the twelve artists as well as biographical information.

Demonstrating the depth and vitality of the photojournalistic tradition in Mexico today, Testigos de la historia / Witnesses to History showcases the Wittliff Gallery’s important permanent collection of modern and contemporary Mexican documentary photography.

The exhibition runs through February 12 at the Wittliff Gallery of Southwestern & Mexican Photography, located on the seventh floor of the Alkek Library at Texas State University in San Marcos. The exhibit reception and a special program featuring a discussion of documentary photography by Estela Treviño and Alfonso Morales, two photo historians from the Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City will be held the evening of Saturday, October 8 to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month.

Among the almost 13,000 images now held in the Wittliff Gallery’s permanent archives is a significant collection tracing the development of photojournalism from early giants Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Héctor García, Nacho López, and Rodrigo Moya to the intrepid inheritors of this great artistic tradition: Yolanda Andrade, Marco Antonio Cruz, Maya Goded, Graciela Iturbide, Eniac Martínez Ulloa, Francisco Mata Rosas, Raúl Ortega, and Antonio Turok.

“The 59 photographs we’ve chosen for this exhibition reveal the essence of twentieth-century Mexico, yet transcend mere documentary photography to stand alone beyond their agenda,” said curator Connie Todd. “Mexican documentary photographers have maintained an unflagging interest in what is in front of the lens and have never shifted away from concerned documentary communication of political, social, and human truths—in Mexico or abroad. The great ones, however, have managed to elevate their craft to high art while working within the parameters of the genre. It is transcendence of genre that makes an image collectable for the Wittliff.”

Highlights of the show include Manuel Álvarez Bravo’s “Obrero en huelga asesinado” (“Striking Worker Murdered”), “Subcomandante Marcos, La Realidad, Chiapas” taken by Raúl Ortega in 1995, and a large enigmatic portrait of Che Guevara by Rodrigo Moya entitled “Che melancólico, 1964, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba” (“Melancholy Che”).

GUEST SPEAKERS

On October 8, the Wittliff Gallery is pleased to present Estela Treviño and Alfonso Morales as guest speakers during the Testigos de la Historia reception. Estela Treviño is an historian and editor of the recently published volume on Mexican photography, 160 años de fotografía en México (Oceano, 2005). The daughter-in-law of Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, Treviño is currently Coordinator of Photography Research at the Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City. Alfonso Morales is a fine-arts editor and has co-authored many photographic books in Mexico. He is currently the editor of the Centro de la Imagen’s premier Mexican photography journal, Luna córnea. His most recently edited book is Héctor García (DAP, 2005). The reception begins at 7:00 pm; the talk is scheduled for 8:00 pm.