"Tina Modotti and Edward Weston's Photographic Collaborations"
2005-01-13 until 2005-03-12
Throckmorton Fine Art
New York, NY, USA United States of America

Throckmorton Fine Art is pleased to present Tina Modotti and Edward Weston's photographic collaboration, from their important and productive Mexican years. For Weston, this period spans from 1923 till 1926, while Modotti stayed on until 1930, when she was forced into exile and left for Europe. The work in this exhibition will focus on Tina Modotti and Edward Weston’s portraits and architectural photographs, in addition to still lives of Mexican folk art and Modotti’s socio-politically charged images.

Modotti studied photography with Weston, whose aesthetic, was based on the desire to give photography the status of high art through his formalist, “Form follows function,” techniques. Weston rejected documentary realism, while the content of Modotti’s work became increasingly more socio-political. Her political commitment changed her way of looking at the world. Tina Modotti quickly became part of the Mexican avant garde movement in post revolutionary Mexico. The vision of the Mexican avant garde was to produce a new art for a new society.

Social scenes, proletarian activities and movements of crowds inspired Modotti. She took the camera into the street and photographed the people. Her photo documentary work reflects her strong sense of social consciousness while retaining a formalistic aesthetic. Differing from Weston, Modotti modernist photographs nearly always maintained human elements. Edward Weston worked on a new range of subject matters in Mexico. The new direction in his work matured him as an artist. Weston focused his imagery more toward the search of abstract forms in simple objects. The influence of Mexico and each other solidified Tina Modotti’s reputation as an artist in her own right, and distinguished Edward Weston’s artistic career for generations to come.

IMAGE
Tina Modotti
Calle
1926
Gelatin Silver Print, vintage 
8 3/4 x 7 in.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of New York

Other Important Exhibitions in New York