LENSCRATCH Halloween Exhibition

Trick or Treat! I'm delighted that my image Man in Mask, Barrio de Jalatlaco, taken in 2009 during Día de los Muertos celebrations in Oaxaca, was featured in Aline Smithson's 2011 LENSCRATCH Masks, Costumes, and Halloween Exhibition.

Man in Mask, Barrio de Jalatlaco, Oaxaca, Mexico

Mexico City Museum Visits

I spent Tuesday visiting more museum exhibitions in Mexico City – something which I could do for days on end and still be amazed by the diversity and quality of the work on display. I started my day at Antiguo Colegio de San Ildeonso in Centro Histórico where there is an exhibition Sol y Sombras, de la Fotografía Moderna Mexicana. The exhibition consists of some 75 B&W prints by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Agustin Jiménez and Luis Márquez from the 1920s and 1930s. Many of the prints are grouped by subject matter with all three photographers represented next to one another, providing a convenient setting to compare and contrast. The exhibition contains two of my favorite Álvarez Bravo images – El ensueño (1931) and La buena fana duriendo (1939).

Visitors at the Sol y Sombras exhibition

   
A second set of salas examines modern Mexico City in an exhibition entitled DF Penúltima Región.  The show displays over 60 contemporary photographs and videos by Gerardo Suter who documented the urban landscapes with large digital prints, including an interest diptych printed on copper plate.  Both of these show run through January 15, 2012.
   
The museum also contains a wonderful exhibition by the Australian sculptor Ron Mueck, who creates amazing hyper realistic sculptures of people out of fiberglass and silicon. Mueck’s choice of scale – both much larger and much smaller than real life – adds to the impact of the work. There is also an interesting video showing the arduous process Mueck uses to craft his work.  The Mueck show runs through February 5, 2012.
   
I then headed off to San Ángel to where there was an exhibition of nearly 30 photographs by Lola Álvarez Bravo as well a handful by Manuel Álvarez Bravo. The show runs through February 17, 2012. The exhibition was held in the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Khalo, a pair of buildings connected by a sky bridge. While at the museum, be sure to visit Diego Rivera’s studio and watch the video detailing the life of Frida Khalo.

Centro de la Imagen - Fotoseptiembre

Escribir con la imagen y ver con la palabra [Write with the image and see with the word] - This quote greets visitors to a wonderful exhibition of photos by Maureen Bisilliat accompanied by text from several authors at Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City. Bisilliat was born in England in 1931 and moved to Brazil in 1957. Most of the prints on display are from her adopted country, including work from Bahia and Xingu, taken several decades ago. The large B&W and color digital prints, some more than 60 inches wide, are displayed unmatted and unglazed in simple black frames. Interestingly, this striking presentation would not have been possible when the photos were originally captured. Bisilliat's photos are both passionate and poetic.
  

Maureen Bisilliat - Images from Bahia

   

Next door, in the long corridor which bisects the Biblioteca de México, are two exhibitions that are part of Fotoseptiembre 2011. Hijos de la Tierra includes over 40 traditionally framed and matted B&W prints by Milton Guran, captured in the 1970s and 1980s, which document indigenous groups in the Amazon. These prints are an intriguing contrast to the work of Bisilliat, both in style and presentation. Further down the corridor is a mixed bag of color and B&W work by over a dozen contemporary artists selected for the Fotoseptiembre exhibition Relaciones a Relatos. 

Milton Guran - Hijos de la Tierra
   
Centro de la Imagen and Biblioteca de México are both located in Plaza de la Ciudadela, Centro Histórico (Metro Balderas), Mexico City.

Un Viaje in Mexico City

I arrived in Mexico City yesterday to spend several days before traveling to Oaxaca to photograph Día de los Muertos, and I was delighted to find a wonderful photo exhibition entitled Un Viaje by Francisco Mata Rosas at the Museo Archivo de la Fotographía. The exhibition includes over 45 beautifully crafted prints of Rosas' photographs taken on the Metro in Mexico City. Not surprisingly, this is subject matter near and dear to my heart. The exhibition includes commentaries in Spanish by Carlos Monsivátis, Fabrizio Mejía Madrid and Gildardo Montoya Castro. There is also a brief video depicting scenes in the metro and a display of items that are sold on the trains by wandering vendedoras. The Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana has published a lovely exhibition book which contains all of the photos and commentaries. 

The Museo Archivo de la Fotographía is located at República de Guatemala 34 in Centro Histórico and is open 10 am to 6 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, with free admission.

  

Rosas' contact sheets

Self-portrait with Rosas' print

Ernesto Bazan Exhibition in Oaxaca

The renowned photographer Ernesto Bazan is being honored by the Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo to commemorate ten years of BazanPhoto workshops in Oaxaca. An exhibition of his students prints will be on display there from October 28 until November 27. The opening reception on October 28 at 8 pm will include two audio visual presentations, with the first showing images from the exhibition and the second featuring Ernesto’s newest work, Al Campo. Both of these presentations were directed by Juan de la Cruz.
   
I am honored that five of the images I captured in Ernesto’s 2009 Oaxaca workshop have been selected as prints for the exhibition.
   
Centro Fotográfico is located at M. Bravo 116, Col. Centro, CP 68000, Oaxaca and is open Wednesday to Monday 10 am to 8 pm.

Catrinita, Oaxaca de Juárez

   

Comparsa de Jalatlaco, Oaxaca de Juárez

   

El Matadero, Oaxaca de Juárez

   

Hombre Cansado, Ocotlán de Morelos

   

Familia, Ocotlán de Morelos

   

Where in the World?

I will have two prints from my Metro series in the Where in the World? Exhibit at the Mpls Photo Center. The exhibit was juried by Toby Kamps, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Menil Collection in Houston. The show will be on display from October 7 through November 27, daily from 12-6 pm, and there will be an opening reception on October 14 from 7-10 pm. The Mpls Photo Center is located at 2400 North Second Street, Minneapolis, MN 55411. Phone: 612 643 3511.
  
The Mpls Center has published a 125 page 9"x9" book that features all the exhibit photos printed on 100 pound Chorus Art Silk paper. The Where in the World? book may be viewed and ordered online.

Metro Line A near Les Halles, Paris

Metro Line 1 near People's Square, Shanghai

Metro Slideshow at University of Washington

I will be presenting a slideshow of over 140 images from my Metro series at the University of Washington Photographers Group meeting on October 11 at 6:00 PM in the Allen Auditorium. The auditorium is located in room 181L on the ground floor of the north wing of the Allen Library on the UW campus.  The 20-minute slideshow includes photos I've taken over the past four years in ten cities on three continents and is accompanied by the music of Bill Frisell.
  

Linea 2 near Piazza Cavour, Naples

Pier 24 Photo in San Francisco Architectural Heritage News

I'm delighted that my photograph Under the Bay Bridge, San Francisco was featured in the San Francisco Architectural Heritage News, Vol XXXIX, article Pier 24: The Art of Transformation Tour.  The development of Pier 24 involved the innovative conversion of a long-abandoned warehouse into the largest exhibition space dedicated to the display of photography in the United States and this transformation was made possible by the efforts of the Pilara Foundation.
  
If you're interested in photography and visiting San Francisco, be sure to include Pier 24 in your plans.   Remember to make your reservations well in advance.
  

Pier 24 - Under the Bay Bridge, San Francisco