LOLA ÁLVAREZ BRAVO
Lola Álvarez Bravo, a pioneer in the field of Mexican photography, was one of the very first women in Mexico to become a professional in her field. She was born in a small town in the state of Jalisco, but was raised in Mexico City, attending a convent school in Tacubaya. She married her childhood friend, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, in 1924. The two became fascinated with photography and began learning the craft together, strongly influenced by American photographer Edward Weston, who lived and worked in Mexico from 1923 to 1926. It was her friendship with photographer Tina Modotti—Weston’s mistress—that eventually inspired Lola to become a professional photographer herself. Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo soon achieved status and recognition for their work when they won first and second prizes, respectively, at the 1931 Exhibición Nacional de la Pintura y la Fotografía (National Painting and Photography Exhibition). Before they divorced in 1935, the two were active participants in the Mexican renaissance of the 1930s. Lola Álvarez Bravo worked for La Secretaría de Educación Pública (Ministry of Education), and later became director of the photography department at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Fine Arts Institute), a position she held until the late 1960s. Lola Álvarez Bravo’s photographs have been featured in scores of exhibitions, reside in many major collections, and have been anthologized in numerous publications. After her death in 1993, her archives were sold to the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona. The Wittliff Gallery is proud to own ten of her vintage images to date.
PHOTO by Manuel Álvarez Bravo