"Tate Modern- Graciela Iturbide- Review"

On entering Room 11 of the “Poetry and Dream” exhibition at the Tate, one gets the opportunity to “travel” along Graciela Iturbide and experience everyday life in places such Mexico, Italy and Mississippi. A retrospective exhibition featuring an overview of Iturbide’s’ work over four decades, in which she depicts the themes of urban and rural life. Through her photographs she presents various ideas such as, indigenous rituals, the role of women in society, as well as the tension between tradition and modernity. One of the highlights of the exhibition, titled as “Nuestra Senora de las Iguanas”-1979, is a photograph of a powerful female figure, which portrays the theme of feminism that the artist explores. The mutual relationship between Iturbide and her subjects is vividly reflected and this seems to catch the attention of everyone in the room. By photographing the world in black and white, she manages to arouse and amaze all visitors of the exhibition, who stop and thoroughly study her work. Although she explores cultural themes and her work does not have any colour, there is certain playfulness in most of her pieces and this makes the exhibition enjoyable for people of all ages. As an artist, Iturbide achieves to pass on her emotions and ideas through something so simple as a black and white photograph. In addition, the minimalistic layout of the exhibition makes each picture individually unique and therefore, every piece is equally appreciated. Whether she photographs humans, scenery or even objects, Graciela Iturbide manages to capture an essence of culture through her work and this culture is transferred vividly to her viewers.