Carnaval, Tlaxcala, México

Graciela Iturbide is a Mexican photographer. She is known for her photographs of Mexico’s Indigenous cultures like the Zapotec, Mixtec, and Seri. She has also photographed life in Mexico City, Juchitán, Oaxaca, and the Mexico-United States border. Her work focuses on themes of identity, daily life, and the roles of women. Her photographs share visual stories of the cultures of Mexico. Her work explores urban and rural life, as well as Indigenous and modern life.

I don’t pretend to make my photographs speak the truth of what Mexico is all about. But in its villages, I can feel the way culture is changing, and it’s fascinating to live through it and try to capture it on camera.

Graciela Iturdibe

During the 1970s Iturbide worked for the National Indigenous Institute of Mexico. They commissioned her to create a photographic series documenting Indigenous cultures in Mexico. She photographed and documented villagers in rural Mexico. It was important to her to develop relationships with the people in the communities she was documenting. Her first collection of images, titled Mujer Angel (Angel Woman), was released in 1979. Iturbide is a leading activist in preserving the culture of the pre-Hispanic peoples.

To me it’s more important to get to know the worlds I travel in; this knowledge is so attractive that the photography almost takes second place.

Graciela Iturbide

The title of this photograph refers to the celebration of Carnaval (Spanish for Carnival) in Tlaxcala, Mexico. Carnaval was established as a holiday in the European Middle Ages. It was brought to Mexico by the Spanish conquistadors who colonized Mexico under the Spanish Empire. The celebration includes parades, street parties, and dancing. In rural Mexico this celebration is influenced by the traditions and religions of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic cultures.

This photograph was made using gelatin silver printing. This is a popular process for creating black-and-white photos. The film was covered with a mixture of gelatin and silver halides. After the paper dried, it was exposed to light through a photo negative. The image was developed by placing the paper in chemicals that react to gelatin and silver.