Bravo, Manuel Alvarez | Instrumental, 1931 — available on Composition Gallery

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Platinum Print

Instrumental by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, a gelatin silver print from 1931, captures a close-up arrangement of industrial tools, meticulously framed to highlight their geometric forms and textures. The composition is stark and minimalist, with the contrasting shades and metallic surfaces emphasizing the interplay between light and shadow. This photograph reflects Bravo's masterful eye for abstraction within ordinary objects, transforming utilitarian items into an exploration of shape, form, and texture. Through his lens, these tools are elevated from mere functionality to a visual study of industrial aesthetics, showcasing Bravo's influence on Mexican modernist photography.

Manuel Álvarez Bravo (Mexico, 1902–2002) was a master photographer and a pivotal figure in 20th-century Mexican art. Known for his poetic black-and-white images, his work blends surrealism, modernism, and cultural symbolism, capturing the essence of Mexican identity. Álvarez Bravo’s legacy shaped modern photography in Latin America and beyond.

Manuel Alvarez Bravo

Instrumental, 1931

Name: Instrumental, 1931
SKU: 3855

Form

Photography

PhotographyPhotography is the process of creating an image on light sensitive materials. The image is produced by using a camera, which has a lens that focuses on light either reflected or emitted from an object. These visible wavelengths are used to reproduce the image seen.

Medium

Gelatin Silver Print

Gelatin Silver PrintA silver gelatin print is a type of photographic print made using the silver process. In this process, photographic materials such as black and white films and printing papers are coated with a light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts suspended in gelatin. This emulsion is applied to a support, which could be flexible plastic, glass, resin-coated paper, or baryta paper. The materials are light-sensitive and remain stable under normal storage conditions, making them ideal for long-term preservation.

Easily Unframed

Yes

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Platinum Print

Manuel Alvarez Bravo

Instrumental, 1931

Photography

Gelatin Silver Print

Currently Not Available

Dead Striker, 1934 - later print

Photography

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Shoot what you see, not what you think.
- Manuel Alvarez Bravo

Manuel Alvarez Bravo was a self-taught artistic photographer from Mexico. His style was surrealistic, and Bravo sought to avoid depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture in his photos. Early in his career he was influenced by Japanese prints, Cubism, French Surrealism, and abstract art forms, but later in life he drew much influence from Mexico's muralism movement. Bravo's work spanned many fields, from promotional work commissioned by the government to cinematic pieces for the film industry. He also spent several decades teaching photography at the National School of Arts and the Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematográficos, where his students included Graciela Iturbide and Nacho Lopez. Bravo's photos have been exhibited in some of the most esteemed galleries in the United States and Mexico, including the J. Paul Getty Museum and Casa Lamm Cultural Center. Because of his contributions to the photographic arts in Mexico, Manuel Alvarez Bravo is considered of of the most important figures in Latin American contemporary art. (Artist website)

Artwork by Rene Magritte

What is Surrealism?

Surrealism began in the 1920s as an art and literary movement with the goal of revealing the unconscious mind and unleashing the imagination by exploring unusual and dream-like imagery. Influenced by Sigmund Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis, Surrealist artists and writers sought to bring the unconscious into rational life, blurring the lines between reality and dreams. The movement aimed to challenge conventional perceptions and express the irrational aspects of the human experience.

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Manuel Alvarez Bravo

Instrumental, 1931

19 x 25 cm

Language & Currency

Manuel Alvarez Bravo