Lola Álvarex Bravo

September 22, 2021

Through documenting the livelihoods and social activities within Mexico, Lola Álvarex Bravo is recognized as Mexico’s first successful female photographer. As a passionate photojournalist, educator, and curator, Álvarex Bravo was a significant figure within the world of photography.

Five Fun Facts

Lola Álvarex Bravo was inspired by the works of photographers Edward Weston and Tina Modotti.
Besides working as a photojournalist and gallery curator, Álvarex Bravo also took profession as a commercial photographer, professional portraitist, political artist, and teacher.
Álvarex Bravo portrayed her love for the camera as her livelihood and described the discovery for it as “The life I found before me.”
During her photography journey, she avoided posing subjects and staging circumstances. Instead, she observed the life occurring within Mexico to capture a moment.
Lola Álvarex Bravo referred to her creations as “Mis fotos, Mi arte” meaning “My photos, My art.”

International Women’s Day: Lola Álvarez Bravo [Photograph]. (2019, March 27). Ella Canta. https://www.ellacanta.com/hoy/lolaalvarezbravo

Born during the early 1900s in Jalisco, Mexico, Álvarex Bravo grew up in Mexico City with several family members. Here she married photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo and assisted in developing his photos. Manuel would be the one to introduce her to the camera, photo, and studio techniques.

Together, the two involved themselves with other influential Hispanic artists such as Frida Kahlo, who Álvarez Bravo would become great friends with throughout her career. After separating from her husband in 1934, Álvarez continued to develop as a photographer and independently began her journey traveling to tell the stories of Mexico.

In 1944, she opened her first solo exhibition at Mexico City’s Palace of Fine Arts and ran her own gallery from 1951-1958. The work of Álvarez Bravo consisted of compositions that focused on abstract forms, patterns, and light and shadow. She captured photographs of the daily activities happening in villages, architecture, and landscapes. These photos hold meaning because of how it showcases life during the post-revolution Mexican renaissance.

Unfortunately, by the late 1980s, she was forced to give up photography due to the failure of her eyesight. On July 31st, 1993, Bravo passed away in Mexico City. Today her artwork is on display at many galleries, such as The Museum of Modern Art (New York City), the National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington D.C.), and the J Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles).

References

Lola Álvarez Bravo. (n.d.). Center for Creative Photography. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from https://ccp.arizona.edu/artists/lola-%C3%A1lvarez-bravo

Lola Álvarez Bravo: Picturing Mexico. (n.d.). Pulitzer Arts Foundation. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from https://pulitzerarts.org/art/lola-alvarez-bravo/

Lola Álvarez Bravo. (n.d.). Artnet. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from http://www.artnet.com/artists/lola-alvarez-bravo/

Álvarex Bravo, Lola. (2018). Some go up: Lola Álvarez Bravo at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation [Photograph]. Art in America. https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/go-lola-alvarez-bravo-pulitzer-art-foundation-60133/
Alvarez Bravo, Lola, 1907-1993
Álvarex Bravo, Lola. (n.d.). Lola Alvarez Bravo Mexican, 1907–1993 [Photograph]. Museum of Modern Art. https://www.moma.org/artists/7921
Álvarex Bravo, Lola. (2018). Some go up: Lola Álvarez Bravo at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation [Photograph]. Art in America. https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/go-lola-alvarez-bravo-pulitzer-art-foundation-60133/
Alvarez Bravo, Lola, 1907-1993