Mexico Through the Lens of a 20th Century Master

PHOENIX, AZ, Aug 05 (MARKET WIRE) --
Full of striking compositions, dramatic still lifes and exquisitely
beautiful landscapes, Phoenix Art Museum presents an artistic exploration
of Mexico seen through the lens of one of the twentieth century's most
influential photographers, Edward Weston. Opening on August 9, Edward
Weston: Mexico examines a variety of Weston's early and rare works
revealing his devotion to the ideals of art, his progression towards
modernist photography and his passion for love and life.

This stunning collection of 60 photographs displays the local culture and
scenery of Mexico in the 1920s -- a rich period for the arts known as the
Mexican Renaissance. Weston used a large camera to create technically
accomplished black-and-white photos rich in detail and markedly
abstract. Mexico allowed him to experiment with new subject matter, such
as still lifes and landscapes, making this period one of the most pivotal
of his career.

"Weston spent roughly three-years in Mexico with his lover, Italian-born
actress Tina Modotti. The powerful photographs in this collection visually
tell the tale of his passion for both Modotti and his new environment,"
commented Becky Senf, Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography,
Phoenix Art Museum. "The exhibition also includes archival materials --
letters, journals and personal snapshots -- drawn from the Center for
Creative Photography that deeply enriches the story."

A Career Transformed in Mexico

Born in 1886, Edward Weston began his career practicing a popular
photographic style called Pictorialism, creating portraits and nudes. The
photographs with minimum contrast and soft-focus had a dream like
quality. In 1923, an uninspiring and stagnate commercial portrait
business prompted Weston to relocate to Mexico with Modotti. While there,
he created innovative work exploring a modernist aesthetic characterized
by sharp focused portraits, abstractions, and richly textured still lifes.
Weston's work was met with praise and recognition in the midst of the
vibrant Mexican artistic culture.

Inspired by a Love Affair

Modotti played a crucial role in Weston's Mexican experience. She had
visited the country before their move and together Modotti and Weston set
up a commercial portrait studio as an income source. They explored the
cultural climate of their new country, making friends with leading
political figures, artists, and writers. Modotti also served as a model
for Weston; some of this exhibition's most entrancing photographs are of
Weston's partner and muse. A small selection of Modotti's own Mexico
photographs will be featured in the exhibition as well.

While in Mexico Weston and Modotti produced photographs for Anita
Brenner's volume Idols behind Altars, a chronicle of Mexican history and
culture. A special section of the exhibition explores this fascinating
project, showing an example of Brenner's 1929 publication and many prints
made for the book.

Photography Exhibition Details

This exhibition is organized by the Center for Creative Photography and
Phoenix Art Museum and is presented in the Museum's Doris and John Norton
Gallery.

Admission to the exhibition is included in general museum admission, which
is $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens (65+), $8 for full-time college
students with ID, $4 for children ages 6-17 and free for children under 6
and for museum members. Admission is also free on Tuesdays from 3:00 p.m.
- 9:00 p.m. and for everyone on First Fridays, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Phoenix Art Museum is located in downtown Phoenix at the corner of Central
and McDowell Road.

Museum hours are Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Wednesday - Sunday
from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and major
holidays.

Public Events

The Museum is offering a full schedule of programs and events relating to
the exhibition, including:

-- Edward Weston in Mexico (Artbreak Gallery Talk) - Tuesday, September
2, 7 pm
Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography Rebecca Senf gives and
overview of Edward Weston's Mexican sojourn from 1923 to 1926. Then the
group moves into the galleries to explore selected works. Presented in
partnership with the Museum's Latin American Art Alliance.
-- Tina in Mexico (Movies at the Museum) - Sunday, October 5, 1 pm
This film follows the tumultuous and epic story of Tina Modotti: a
revolutionary, bohemian spirit, renowned photographer and intimate
companion of Edward Weston. It weaves archival footage, photographs,
the murals of Diego Rivera, and lyrical reenactments to conjure the
political, artistic and intimate spaces of their lives in Mexico during
the 1920s. Presented in partnership with the Museum's Latin American
Art Alliance.

Additional information regarding public programs can be found on the
Museum's Web site, PhxArt.org.

A Landmark Photography Partnership

In 2006, Phoenix Art Museum and the Center for Creative Photography at the
University of Arizona in Tucson inaugurated a highly innovative and
unprecedented collaboration to bring the finest in photography to Phoenix
Art Museum visitors. It established a vibrant new photography exhibition
program at the Museum, while bringing the Center's world-renowned
collections to new and larger audiences.

The Center for Creative Photography is one of the world's largest
repositories of materials chronicling photography. Founded in 1975, it now
houses 3.8 million archival items and 80,000 fine prints by photographers
including Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind,
Frederick Sommer, W. Eugene Smith, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, and Garry Winogrand.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum is the Southwest's premier destination for world-class
visual arts. Popular exhibitions featuring artists such as Rembrandt,
Norman Rockwell, Annie Leibowitz and Monet are shown along side the
Museum's outstanding collection of more than 17,000 works of American,
Asian, European, Latin American, Western American, modern and contemporary
art, and fashion design. A community epicenter for nearly fifty years,
Phoenix Art Museum presents festivals, live performances, independent art
films and educational programs that enlighten, entertain and stimulate.
Visitors also enjoy PhxArtKids an interactive space for children, vibrant
photography exhibitions through the Museum's landmark partnership with the
Center for Creative Photography, the lushly landscaped Sculpture Garden,
dining at Arcadia Farms at Phoenix Art Museum, and shopping at The Museum
Store.

To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit PhxArt.org, or call the
24-hour recorded information line at (602) 257-1222.

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