New Bilingual Book Brings a Century of Mexican Photography into Focus
From iconic portraits to depictions of daily life, nearly 150 images illuminate Mexico’s rich photographic tradition
Instante/revelación
Moments in Mexican PhotographyAuthor
Julieta Pestarino
Body Content
In 1982 the renowned Mexican poet Octavio Paz recalled a revelation he had in his youth upon encountering some photographs in a local journal.
It was because of these images, he wrote, that he first understood how modernist poetry worked: “I owe to photography one of my first experiences in art. … I discovered … the reproductions of three photographs by Manuel Álvarez Bravo. … I felt a strange bewilderment, followed by the joy that accompanies understanding, no matter how incomplete it is.” By means of those subtle monochrome photographs—cropped details of everyday objects such as a plant, a tree, and curtains—Paz, who went on to become one of the most important figures in Latin American literature, experienced a revelation through vision, condensed in an instant, after which everything acquired a new meaning.
Instante/revelación: Moments in Mexican Photography (J. Paul Getty Museum, $24.95) presents nearly 150 pictures made between 1920 and 2017 by photographers working in Mexico, including Lola and Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Graciela Iturbide, and Pablo Ortiz Monasterio. Connected by their personal and professional relationships and shared inspirations, these artists built their practices on collaboration, exchange, and mutual learning. Among the photographs are stunning presentations of landscapes, architecture, and flora and fauna from across the country; depictions of daily life; and portraits of esteemed Mexican artists and writers, such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. An illustrated essay examines the significant role photobooks and periodicals played in disseminating these images. The works of these artists, when viewed together as a collective narrative, reveal the spirit of fruitful exchange that characterizes this exciting chapter in Mexico's photographic history.
This publication accompanies the exhibition on view at the Getty Center, September 1, 2026—January 3, 2027.
Endorsements
“‘Instante/revelación’ is an elegant and illuminating photography catalogue that introduces a rich tradition of Mexican photography.”
— Rebecca Foster, Foreword Reviews
“‘Instante/revelación: Moments in Mexican Photography’ explores the fertile artistic milieu of twentieth-century photography in Mexico, providing irrefutable testimony of its indomitable force within global modernism.”
— Alejandra Uslenghi, Associate Professor in Latin American Literature and Culture, Director of Comparative Literary Studies, Northwestern University
“In this richly illustrated bilingual catalogue, Julieta Pestarino demonstrates how twentieth-century Mexican photography was profoundly interconnected and collectively conceived. This book is a must-have for anyone seeking an introduction to the development of one of the most influential and internationally recognized photographic traditions in Latin America.”
— Juanita Solano Roa, Associate Professor, Department of Art History, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá
“Drawing on Octavio Paz’s 1982 landmark publication ‘Instante y revelación’ as a conceptual cue, Julieta Pestarino achieves an innovative reading of Mexican photography as a historical constellation of visual thought, shared forms, and aesthetic affinities.”
— Laura González-Flores, senior researcher and professor, Institute of Aesthetic Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico
Instante/revelación
Moments in Mexican Photography$24.95/£21.99