Tina Modotti’s most prolific period as a photographer was unquestionably the 20’s (both hers and the century’s) in Mexico and the current show at the Museo de Arte de Ciudad Juaréz (MUACJ) provides a good overview of her work from that period showing her movement from the purely formalist concerns early in her work to her growimg political activism in the tumultuous political climate of that time and place. Born Assunta Luigia Adelaide Modotti, Tina Modotti was always interested in pursuing photography, but it was Edward Weston with whom she had a long affair who both encouraged her as a photographer and influenced her in focusing on shape and form. Later on as her political activism increased she focused much more on people and society. Both of these elements are present in the current show.
Looking at these photos today it is easy to forget that at the time they were considered very forward looking. In a review of her first and only major one person show in 1929, the reviewer Gustavo Ortiz Hernán described her works as part of the vanguard, “profoundly original” and distinct from any other. He calls attention to her capable use of plasticity and pays particular attention to a work of crystal cups. He also points to her politicalsensibilities showcasing two similar works involving corn, a guitar and a bandolier in one case, and a hoe replacing the guitar in the second as being a perfect synthesis of a social ideology and suggested they should be called “Revolution”.
All of these are present in the current show as well as two beautiful photos of calla lillies which makes one think of Georgia OḰeefe and wondering about influences. There are also wonderful photos focusing on hands. For Tina hands are the origin of everything because it is the basis for creation. Tina believed that photography should represent the real. She felt photography should not try to imitate other art forms but should simply reflect reality. This is fairly commonplace today, but was only just beginning to be recognized when she was working.
Where the show falls short is in a lack of context and information about both the photos and Modotti’s life. I know there are disagreements over how much, if any, information should appear on museum walls, but I do think it important for a museum to give relevant and important information where possible. Particularly in this case where in some instances the importance of the work is the subject of the photograph rather than the quality of the photo.
For instance, there is both a regular sized photo and then an enlarged version of the same photo showing Tina and “Robo” Richey in their studio, but nowhere does it mention that the Canadian born painter and poet Roubaix de l’Abrie Richey, known as “Robo”, was her first husband, or that it was in his San Francisco studio where she met and began her affair with the also married Edward Weston. Robo moved to Mexico where he wrote back glowing letters encouraging Tina to come. She went only to find he had died two days before her arrival. Tina stayed, Weston joined her and that started a remarkably prolific period for both of them.
Julio Antonio Mella
Another portrait for which there is little information is that of Julio Antonio Mella which makes no mention of the fact that the Cuban revolutionary was not only a great love of hers, but also was assassinated by unknown parties. At the time it was blamed on the Cuban dictator Machado, but Mella’s pro-Trotsky views among other things, provide ample reasons to believe it might also have been by pro-Stalinist forces. The show also includes a photo of Mella’s typewriter. It seems that the original photo had a few typed lines taken from Trotsky’s writings but when she sent it to be printed in Mexican Folkways the lines were scrupulously erased as they are here. None of this is mentioned.
Tina joined the Communist party in 1927 and this is reflected in her photography, though again there is insufficient information given here. There is a picture of campesinos reading “La Machete” but nothing mentioning this is the Communist party newspaper. There are the photographs of hands, but no mention of the importance that hands represented for her.
So the photographs are wonderful, they just need more than the vague and somewhat questionable information accompanying the show. I would suggest viewers might want to read more about this womanś troubled life. I am indebted to the well known author Pina Cacucci, for his wonderful biography of Tina Modotti which in Italian is simply called Tina, but which in my Spanish translation is called Los fuegos, las sombras, el silencio inspired by lines from a poem Pablo Neruda wrote specifically for Modotti and which is engraved on her tombstone.- David Sokolec
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BORDER ART DIALOGUE 
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