Photos of Old Mexico Revealed in Two New Shows in NYC

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed)
Sep 20th 2010 at 3:01PM

Mexico is having a big historical moment, at the moment -- celebrations marking its 200th anniversary of independence, and the centennial of its revolution reached a fever pitch this month.

Such anniversaries are a great time to reflect on the past, and New York City's Aperture Gallery, in Chelsea, and the Bronx Museum of the Arts, have just opened shows on that theme. American photographer Paul Strand spent extended time in Mexico in the 1930s and the 1960s, and during these journeys, made photographs now considered to be among his best. The Chelsea gallery displays more than 100 photographs by Strand, including a remastered version of his 1936 film, Redes. The Bronx Museum shows twenty gravure prints from Strand's 1967 travels in Mexico.

And if you just can't get enough of Strand's Mexico photographs -- or you're not in New York -- next month brings another way to experience the exhibit. Paul Strand in Mexico, will be published by Aperture and the Televisa Foundation. The book, which will sell for $75, reprints 234 of Strand's photos from both of his trips -- of these 123 have never before been published.

Tags: bronx, chelsea, Mexico, PhotoGallery, photography, photos