Gallery Lumiere is pleased to announce ‘The Legend of photography: photographs of Edward Weston & Tina Modotti’. This exhibition is the second show of the Gallery Lumiere’s long- term project tracing the turning points accomplished by many important photographers in the history of photography. The first show was ‘Photography’s Turning Point: Alfred Stieglitz and Camera Work’ which was held last year.

Through 35 exceptional gelatin silver prints of Edward Weston and platinum prints of Tina Modotti will provide touching moments and an opportunity to thoroughly examine Weston’s modernist pictorial development.

Edward Weston is renowned as one of the masters of 20th century photography. His legacy includes several thousands of carefully composed, superbly printed photographs which have influenced photographers around the world for 60years. Photographing natural landscapes and forms such as artichoke, shells and rocks, using large-format cameras and available lights. The subtle use of tones and the sculptural formal design of his works have become the standards by which much later photographic practice has been judged. Ansel Adams once wrote, " Weston is, in the real sense, one of the few creative artists of today. He has recreated the matter-forms and forces of nature; he has made these forms eloquent of the fundamental unity of the world. His work illuminates man's inner journey toward perfection of the spirit."

Tina Modotti was a beloved partner of Weston, an independent photographer and a passionate revolutionist. Edward Weston and Tina Modotti met between 1918 and 1920. By this time, they happened to face the major turning point of their life. Their love affair had begun. Their relationship had influenced both of their photographs and the rest of their life. Modotti studied photography with Weston and inspired by his belief that aesthetic is based on the desire to improve photography with the high quality art through the idea of formalism techniques. He said, “Form follows function.” Weston rejected documentary realism while the content of Modotti’s work became increasingly more socio-political. Her political commitment changed her perspective of looking at the world. Tina Modotti quickly became part of the Mexican avant-garde movement in post revolutionary Mexico. The vision of the Mexican avant-garde artists was to accomplish a new art movement for the new society.


‘The Legend of Photography: photographs of Edward Weston & Tina Modotti’ includes many of their best- known works as well as many unrevealed works.
Every weekend, we offer English Gallery Talk at 4 PM to provide an opportunity to learn more about the photographers and their artistic world.

Edward Henri Weston was born in March 24, 1886 in Highland Park, Illinois and he was raised in Chicago. He received his first camera, a Bull's-Eye#2, from his father in 1902. In 1906 Weston traveled to California where he worked as a door-to-door portrait photographer. From 1908 to 1911 he attended the Illinoise College of Photography. Weston operated his own portrait studio between 1911 and 1922 in Tropico, California. He became successful working in a soft-focus, pictorial style, winning many salon and professional awards. By 1920 he was experimenting with semi abstractions in a hard-edged style.

In 1922. Weston traveled to New York City, where he met Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler. His photographs of ARMCO Steelworks in Ohio at this time marked a turning point in his career. They were true "straight" images, unpretentious and true to the reality before the photographer. In 1923 Weston moved to Mexico City where he opened a studio with his apprentice and lover Tina Modotti, of whom he made important portraits and nude studies over several years. Through Modotti, Weston became friendly with artists of the Mexican Renaissance including Rivera, Siqueiros and Orozco, all of whom encouraged his new direction. In 1924, Weston abandoned the use of soft-focus techniques entirely and started his precise studies of natural forms. He returned to California permanently in 1926 and began the work for which he is most deservedly famous; natural form close-ups, nudes and landscapes. Weston died in Carmel in 1958.

Tina Modotti(1896-1942)

Tina Modotti was born on August 16, 1896 in Udine, Italy. In 1913, she emigrated to the United States and arrived in San Francisco. In the year 1915, Tina met an artist named Roubaix de L'Abrie Richey and they married approximately two years later. Her home was a party zone for all bohemian artists which included Edward Weston. Modotti and Edward began a passionate affair despite the fact that they were both married.


In December of 1921, Tina's husband left for Mexico to explore the artistic world. Tina and Edward Weston were to join him later on. Weston, inspired by the beauty of Tina, took many photos of her, including some of her nude. In 1922, after death of Tina’s husband of smallpox, Modotti and Weston traveled to Mexico to set up their home. Weston taught Modotti photography, and she became an established photographer. In addition, she was accepted by the bohemian world, which included Diego Rivera, the famous Mexican muralist. She also got involved in the Communist party. Weston rejected documentary realism, while the content of Modotti’s work became increasingly more socio-political. Her political commitment changed her way of looking at the world. Modotti quickly became part of the avant-garde movement in post-revolutionary Mexico. She would combine and arrange objects in new series of still lifes that symbolized and summarized the Mexican Revolution


Social scenes, proletarian activities and movement of crowds inspired Modotti. She started taking the camera out into the street and photographing the people. Her photo-documentary work reflects her strong sense of social consciousness while retaining a formalistic aesthetic. Differing from Weston, Modotti’s modernist photographs nearly always maintained human elements.
After Weston went to back to California permanently Modotti was traveling from country to country and she returned to Mexico in 1939. In 1942, while traveling in a taxi after attending a get together at a friend's home, she died. It is rumored that she was poisoned, but it is also said that she died of heart failure.