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Influenced Mexican photographer Tina Modotti in the early twentieth century

Owner of a refined style that allowed him to achieve sharp images and robust characterized by total absence of affectation and sentimentality, and who influenced the Mexican photographers of his day, Tina Modotti was born on August 17, 1896 in Udine, Italy.

Possessed of a determination that placed in history as an iconic and revolutionary woman, Tina was part of a modest family who emigrated in the early twentieth century America, where his drive soon became the mainstay of his house.

According to his biographers, the artist of the lens was nude and Italian-American stage actress in San Francisco. Then at age 20 married Roubaix de L `Abri Richey, with whom he began to frequent the intellectual bohemia of that city.

In the first decade of the 20s, Roubaix moved to Mexico to try their luck, but that smallpox and died. Then, the young widow became a model and lover of photographer Edward Weston, with whom she began a romantic life.

Both moved to Mexico where they were welcomed by the Mexican intellectual circle which then housed painters, writers, poets, scientists and humanists.

Tina Modotti became enamored with the country. Subsequently, between 1924 and 1929, lived their most glittering, as there was no big celebration or girl who was not invited.

Besides Weston, Modotti traveled extensively in Mexico for a report and it was during that trip that was touched and felt reborn in her social concerns.

When they returned to the home they shared, the love was almost gone and Weston returned to California, where he and his son Brett held a work highly praised by critics and fans.

After Weston's departure, shocked to the core by the harsh reality of the Mexican people, Tina turned to the Communist Party.

Xavier Guerrero, an important painter of Olmec origin, introduced to the world of politics and became a fervent and sincere Stalinist Marxist, also his lover.

In the Party, Tina was surrounded by new and old friends. For example, the muralists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros and Xavier Guerrero while Moscow was called by the Party, Tina continued taking pictures of family and worked in the newspaper "El Machete".

In 1928 he met the young Cuban revolutionary Julio Antonio Mella, exiled in Mexico.

It was an indescribable passion for each other, but Mella was assassinated in January 1929, involved an incident in which Tina, who is said was saved by Diego Rivera.

However, Mella's death triggered her own, Tina and very slow death. All that year was devoted to photography and the Red Aid (a branch of the Communist Party), and by December had been invited to present their work at the National Library.

It was their first exposure, but also the first and last time he was recognized as the creator.

It was when he proclaimed his status as single photographer to serve the socialist cause. The works raised high praise from the critics, because they were a splendid testimony to the potential cultural features of the photograph.

Occurred in Mexico shortly after a failed assassination attempt on the president-elect. Many Communists were taken prisoners and suspected terrorists including Tina Modotti was expelled from Mexico in January 1930, a year after being discharged Mella.

He had only two days to fix your things and go to Europe. Among the few people who went with Tina in those days was a shy boy, an aspiring photographer, who gave a camera, with a good eye, as this became the most revered Mexican photographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo.

Tina's 10 years in Europe were deadly. Stripped of their identity, spent time in Germany where he took some pictures of strong satirical tone but did not feel comfortable, for he was very lonely and afraid in unknown countries also passing through a critical situation.

His only support was Vittorio Vidali, a strong Italian enigmatic personality whom she had met in the Red Aid of Mexico and assumed the duty of solidarity to accompany her in her forced exile. It is said that they continued together until the end, more for an urgent need for support for true love.

Withdrawal of the picture, back in Mexico, Tina's life became very sad. Vittorio Vidali did not offer her much attention. Your friends will not see them was to not get them into trouble. He smoked a lot, it hurt the heart, lived in fear and bitter, old and disfigured, not acknowledged to herself.

So to finally stop tormenting this life is eternal and unbearable him, he died alone and in silence and without complaint at the seat of a taxi, 5 January 1942.

It would be 40 years later when a group of American feminist theorists discovered his work and evaluated art in its true dimension. He also became entranced with the courage of this authentic female fighter, who paid with their lives for their inner freedom.

In 1992 he published a novel by Mexican writer Elena Poniatowska called "Tinísima" as he called the photographer Julio Mella.

And in 1996, met 100 years of the birth of Tina Modotti, organized an exhibition in Finland almost all his work: 118 photographs. His was the specialist curator Sarah Lowe, who wrote an influential catalog, a product of six years of research.

Via Mundo Hispano

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