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"French-Mexican photographer Colette URBAJTEL captures scenes in tranquil places, small events―occasionally the amusing or ironical―plants, animals and insects. This artist’s book gathers 52 images selected by the photographer herself, a testament to the atypical conversion of a Parisian economics student to Mexico-based photographer." (publisher's note, © RM, 2016)
About the photographer, Collette URBAJTEL (b.1934):
Colette Álvarez URBAJTEL is a French-Mexican photographer, whose work, mostly of everyday life, was in black-and-white until 1990. She is the widow of Mexican photographer Manuel ÁLVAREZ BRAVO, who taught her until she became a photographer in her own right.
Her work has been exhibited extensively both in Mexico and abroad. It has been recognized with membership in the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana, two retrospectives and has been featured in several books and magazines.
Álvarez URBAJTEL studied law at the Institute of Political Studies in France. She arrived to Mexico in 1959 as an exchange student to work on a thesis in economics, arriving with her first camera, bought for her by her brother and began taking pictures of the new country.
She married Mexican photographer Manuel ALVAREZ BRAVO, who became her teacher, and she worked as his assistant and printer.
From 1969 to 1981 worked as assistant, photographer and administrator at Fondo Editorial de la Plástica Mexicana founded by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Rafael CARRILLO, Carlos PELICER y Leopoldo MÉNDEZ.
She became a permanent resident of Mexico in 1962. She frequently accompanied Alvarez Bravo on his outings both in Mexico City and other parts of the country. Through her husband, she had contact with other artists and photographers such as Henri CARTIER-BRESSON, Joseph KOUDELKA, Paul STRAND and André KERTÉSZ.
The marriage lasted until ÁLVAREZ BRAVO’s death in 2002.
Spanish dscription:
"Colette URBAJTEL es un libro de autor compuesto por 52 fotografías. Un testimonio que resume la conversión atípica de una parisina con brillantes estudios en derecho y ciencias políticas. Destino o casualidad, este libro devela la vida de una becaria francesa que llegó a México para hacer una tesis de doctorado en economía, cuyo encuentro con la fotografía se dará en un entorno cotidiano.
Movida por un impulso irresistible, la fotógrafa Colette URBAJTEL captura escenas en lugares tranquilos; pequeños acontecimientos divertidos o irónicos; plantas, animales, insectos…
Colette URBAJTEL reúne imágenes seleccionadas por la artista, cuya obra ha sido expuesta alrededor del mundo en más de cuarenta ocasiones."
About the photographer, Collette URBAJTEL (b.1934):
Colette Álvarez URBAJTEL is a French-Mexican photographer, whose work, mostly of everyday life, was in black-and-white until 1990. She is the widow of Mexican photographer Manuel ÁLVAREZ BRAVO, who taught her until she became a photographer in her own right.
Her work has been exhibited extensively both in Mexico and abroad. It has been recognized with membership in the Salón de la Plástica Mexicana, two retrospectives and has been featured in several books and magazines.
Álvarez URBAJTEL studied law at the Institute of Political Studies in France. She arrived to Mexico in 1959 as an exchange student to work on a thesis in economics, arriving with her first camera, bought for her by her brother and began taking pictures of the new country.
She married Mexican photographer Manuel ALVAREZ BRAVO, who became her teacher, and she worked as his assistant and printer.
From 1969 to 1981 worked as assistant, photographer and administrator at Fondo Editorial de la Plástica Mexicana founded by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Rafael CARRILLO, Carlos PELICER y Leopoldo MÉNDEZ.
She became a permanent resident of Mexico in 1962. She frequently accompanied Alvarez Bravo on his outings both in Mexico City and other parts of the country. Through her husband, she had contact with other artists and photographers such as Henri CARTIER-BRESSON, Joseph KOUDELKA, Paul STRAND and André KERTÉSZ.
The marriage lasted until ÁLVAREZ BRAVO’s death in 2002.
Spanish dscription:
"Colette URBAJTEL es un libro de autor compuesto por 52 fotografías. Un testimonio que resume la conversión atípica de una parisina con brillantes estudios en derecho y ciencias políticas. Destino o casualidad, este libro devela la vida de una becaria francesa que llegó a México para hacer una tesis de doctorado en economía, cuyo encuentro con la fotografía se dará en un entorno cotidiano.
Movida por un impulso irresistible, la fotógrafa Colette URBAJTEL captura escenas en lugares tranquilos; pequeños acontecimientos divertidos o irónicos; plantas, animales, insectos…
Colette URBAJTEL reúne imágenes seleccionadas por la artista, cuya obra ha sido expuesta alrededor del mundo en más de cuarenta ocasiones."
- Book design
- José Luis LUGO
- Format
- Linen bound HC (no dust jacket, as issued), 21 x 26 x 1 cm., 56 pp., 52 b/w ills.,