Manuel Álvarez Bravo (1902–2002,
Mexican) was one of the most renowned
Mexican artists of the twentieth century.
His work not only became a significant
part of but also expanded the canon
of black-and-white photography. His
oeuvre shares the visual vocabulary
of the North American photographers
included in Affinities and Outliers
such as Edward Steichen and Elliott
Erwitt. He was particularly influenced
by indigenous cultures of Mexico, but
remained open to artistic influences from
outside his country. Working alongside
artists such as Frida Kahlo and José
Clemente Orozco, Bravo’s portraiture
and landscapes draw from pictorial,
surreal, and documentary photography.
Encompassing a wide breadth of subject
matter, the artist’s series of fifteen black-
and-white works exemplify Bravo’s ability
to transcend culture, time, and place.
–Affinities and Outliers: Highlights from the University at Albany Fine Art Collections