Overview

Adding nuance to the story of the photographer's brilliant career by detailing his collaborations with some of the biggest names in Mexican art Manuel Álvarez Bravo (1902–2002) was a Mexican photographer and one of the most significant figures in twentieth century Latin American art. This book challenges the persistent myth of Bravo as a singular genius by foregrounding the artist's connections with some of the greatest minds of his day, and by looking at the photographer's long career through the lens of projects he created with others. The book considers many kinds of collaboration, including Lola Álvarez Bravo's contributions to the artist's early photographs, the mentoring he received from Tina Modotti, his portraits of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, his work in the film industry during the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema alongside Luis Buñuel and Gabriel Figueroa, his mentoring of Graciela Iturbide, and his book project with Octavio Paz. The intention is not to suggest that working together is always better than working alone. Indeed, the essays in this volume argue that many of these working partnerships were lopsided, providing one figure with substantially greater agency than the other. What rises to the surface is the idea that collaboration is an inherent part of the creative process, particularly in the field of photography. Distributed for the Des Moines Art Center Exhibition Schedule: Des Moines Art Center (October 25, 2025–January 18, 2026)

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Mia Laufer is a curator at the Des Moines Art Center. Her upcoming exhibition projects include Hurricane Season: Caribbean Art and Climate Change, Samantha Box: Caribbean Dreams, and Manuel Álvarez Bravo: Collaborations. She holds a B.A. in Art History from New York University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History and Archaeology from Washington University in St. Louis. Aurelia Álvarez Urbajtel is the director of Casa y Archivo Manuel Álvarez Bravo in Mexico City. Previously, she worked at the Museo Nacional de las Culturas del Mundo in Mexico City and the Publication Department of the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes. She holds an M.A. in Ethnology from the University of Paris-Jussieu. Mia Laufer is a curator at the Chrysler Art Museum, Norfolk, VA. Aurelia Álvarez Urbajtel is the director of Casa y Archivo Manuel Álvarez Bravo in Mexico City. Monica C. Bravo is an assistant professor at Princeton University in the Department of Art and Archaeology. Kristen Gresh is the Estrellita and Yousuf Karsh Curator of Photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Rachel Kaplan is an associate curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Héctor M. Orozco Velázquez is the curator of the Colección y Archivo de Fundación Televisa in Mexico City.

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