Manuel Carrillo: Mi Querido México (My Beloved Mexico) features 25 enchanting and evocative photographs from the Bank of America Collection. Known as El Maestro Mexicano (The Mexican Master), Carrillo (1906–1989) is celebrated for his endearing black-and-white images of indigenous Mexico. Distinct in their formal compositions, with dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, Carrillo’s photographs focus on the expressions of his subjects as well as on the everyday beauty of rural communities in postrevolutionary Mexico.
This body of work illustrates Carrillo’s masterful ability to capture the mood of his home country in an era of cultural transformation and an evolving national identity. The success of Carrillo’s photographs lies in his approach—one of deep sensitivity and compassion—to his proud and humble subjects. Images of dignified campesinos (farmers), men in huaraches (sandals), women draped in rebozos (shawls), and children playing with their four-legged companions function as records of the human spirit and embrace the very notion of Mexicanidad.
This exhibition is provided by Bank of America Art in Our Communities Program. Lead funding is most generously provided by the Elizabeth Huth Coates Exhibition Endowment and the Arthur and Jane Stieren Fund for Exhibitions.
Image: Manuel Carrillo, Mujer y niño desde arriba (Woman and child from above), 1961. Gelatin silver print. Bank of America Collection. Courtesy of the University of Texas at El Paso Library, Special Collection Department. Copyright Charles R. Rushton.
