07 June 2008

invited guest: Graciela Iturbide

Angelito, 1984
© Graciela Iturbide
Courtesy of Galería López Quiroga




Jano, 1980
© Graciela Iturbide
Courtesy of Galería López Quiroga



Madona 1980
© Graciela Iturbide
Courtesy of Galería López Quiroga

Graciela Iturbide from Mexico is one of the true masters of photography. For us living in Sweden it is a special feeling to know that she will be in Gothenburg on 25 October to receive The Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography of 2008. The Hasselblad Prize is sometimes called the Nobel Prize of Photography and we could not think of a better choice for this award than La Maestra Graciela Iturbide. From a Swedish perspective we are glad to learn from a chat with Graciela on the Hasselblad site, that she has visited Sweden several times and that she is familiar with and highly appreciate the work of photographers like Christer Strömholm and Anders Petersen.

The Hasselblad Foundation says: "Graciela Iturbide is considered one of the most important and influential Latin American photographers of the past four decades. Her photography is of the highest visual strength and beauty. Graciela Iturbide has developed a photographic style based on her strong interest in culture, ritual and everyday life in her native Mexico and other countries." For more about the Hasselblad Prize visit: www.hasselbladfoundation.org/


Mujer de las iguanas, 1979
© Graciela Iturbide
Courtesy of Galería López Quiroga




Mujer Angel, 1979
© Graciela Iturbide
Courtesy of Galería López Quiroga


The F Blog is very proud to be able to present a selection of Graciela Iturbide's work. These photographs have been selected by her personally and are provided by Galería López Quiroga in Mexico City.

We dedicate this weekend of the F blog to Graciela. The news says that Sweden is right now the warmest and sunniest place in Europe. We believe that it has something to do with the warmth emanating from Mexico, La Maestra Graciela Iturbide and her photography. There is magic in everyday life, she has shown it to us in her pictures from Mexico and elsewhere. Her work is a gift to all of us, regardless of nationality or ethnic origin. Please stay tuned to this magic, continuing tomorrow with an interview given by Graciela exclusively for The F Blog.

Graciela Iturbide photographed Mexican Americans in the White Fence barrio of East Los Angeles as part of the documentary book "A Day in the Life of America" (1987)

A selection of other publications: Los Que Viven en la Arena (Those Who Live in the Sand), 1981; Sueños de Papel (Dreams of Paper), 1985; Juchitán de las Mujeres (The Women of Juchitán), 1989; En el Nombre del Padre (In the Name of the Father), 1996; La Forma y la Memoria (Form and Memory) 2002; Pájaros (Birds), 2002; India México, 2004; Eyes to Fly With, 2006; Roma (Rome), 2007; Juchitán, 2007.


Upon the launch of the Juchitán series she received the prestigious W. Eugene Smith Award in 1987.

Graciela Iturbide has exhibited widely at major institutions and museums around the world, including the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Her photographs have recently been on exhibit at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Her work is in major collections in Latin and North America, and in Europe.

The Graciela Iturbide weekend on The F Blog is a cooperative effort by Beatriz Rowland, Fredrik Skott and Ulf Fågelhammar.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

So great, so interesting...
i look forward to read the interview with her.
I´m little sad that i miss her exhibit at the Paul Getty...but perhaps her photographs will be there many times.

Mikael said...

Its a true pleasure an honor to have you here Graciela, have been a fan of your work for a long time and in my bookshelf stands "images of the spirit" which I find outstanding and look in often.

Also great work of Ulf, Bea and Fredrik for the efford to get Graciela here!

Anonymous said...

amazing, truly amazing!

matarosas said...

¡Felicidades al blog!
Tener a Graciela en este espacio es un honor para todos.
Graciela es una de las mejores personas y artista que conozco, siempre me ha inspirado y honrado con su amistad.
Graciela es grande entre las grandes.
Francisco Mata

Anonymous said...

Graciela Iturbide is a very important photographer of our time. She is a true master and it's a pleasure to see her amazing work here.

GC said...

truly superb work, a pleasure to see it here on FBlog.

br said...

bienvenida, Graciela. Es un honor. Felicidades por ser otorgada el Premio Hasselblad y espero ver mas y mas de su obra. Gracias.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic photographs. I can't stop thinking of them; especially not about "Mujer Angel".

Rhonda Boocock said...

Truly inspiring, fantastic photographs...I've come back to them all day today...looking forward to the interview tomorrow!

Anonymous said...

I'm really happy for his choice and congratulate with the F group for being able to have an interview with her.
I just wish to find an exhibition in Goteborg very soon.

Tiberio

cafe selavy said...

This is chthonic work that everyone wishes he or she had done. I certainly do. Great art is both uplifting and humbling.

Anonymous said...

Tena koe ehoa
A fantastic anthology of photography. In particular, she brings the documentation of the people and the culture of the Juchitán to informative life for me, which as a photographer and person of a minority ethnicity is somewhat refreshing and inspirational at the same time.

I love the quirkiness with which she approaches life through the lens too. Some of her portraits and self portraits are creative thought-processes that extend beyond the realms of subject photography and into the genre' of idiosyncratic ideology and perception and cultural history, "the reality behind the preconception of reality"

Chris said...

Fantastic work Graciela! And also a great pleasure and honor to see your work here at the F blog.

Big thanks to Bea, Ulf and Fredrik for a great colaboration in this!

/Christofer

Anonymous said...

Yeahs! Wonderful work!

M Jenemark

Exposed Material said...

As always, a great inspiration to see your work!

Anonymous said...

what a weekend it was! I discovered for myself your photography few years ago and I always thought it would be fantastic to host you here at the F blog, and finally we do. Real pleasure and honour.

kathleen fonseca said...

Wow, this blog is always a huge surprise, offering such a wealth of variety and excellence to its visitors. The Graciela Iturbide Weekend was no exception. The interview was fascinating and a thrill to read of the Hasselblad Prize given to a woman of Latin American extraction. Her work is stunning and yes, as another comment so well stated, I wish i had taken these photos myself! I was especially touched by the photograph of Frida's prosthesis in the bathtub. I stared long and hard at that one thinking and imagining many things about Frida's life and suffering. Congratulations to Ulf, Beatriz and Fredrik and thanks so much for publishing both English and Spanish versions of the interview. Your work is much appreciated. ~Kathleen Fonseca~

Anonymous said...

gracias a Dios por intiresny