Mariana Yampolsky – Humanism through photography

(left) Lot 50 -  'Himpil de Tapas', silver gelatin photo print, signed and labelled verso, 22cm x 22cm, framed. Estimated £800 - 1200

From its inception as a scientific curiosity in the midst of the 19th-century to a fledgling art form in the early 20th-century, photography was a medium that held a strong female influence from early on. It could be said that Eastman’s invention of flexible film and improvements in camera technology paved way to a sense of freedom that appealed to women who had previously not been as actively represented in the art world. The appeal may have been the ability to work creatively beyond the studio and to document the world beyond, thus making the art-form their own. Photographers such as Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, Diane Arbus, Lee Miler, Gerda Taro, Margaret Bourke-White, Germaine Krull amongst others were as esteemed as their male counterparts. One thing is certain: that female photographers have been and are acknowledged for their artistry in time periods when other art-forms had less female acknowledgment to be taken seriously.

One such woman and artist was Mariana Yampolsky (1925-2002). Yampolsky, a Mexican-American photographer and leading figure in 20th-century Mexican photography was known for capturing everyday people and situations primarily in rural Mexico. She frequently references rural women in black and white photography and initially started her career in photography whilst exploring and documenting her travels. Gaining strong critical acclaim in her life until her death in 2002, her work was exhibited internationally throughout her life whilst receiving numerous awards. She focused on hardship, wanting to exaggerate a humanism between both of her backgrounds and a strong theme of her works was the promotion of Mexican handmade artwork. Her influences came from the likes of Tina Modotti, Nacho Lopez and Héctor García.

Three striking photographic prints by Mariana Yampolsky are being offered into the upcoming Fine Sale on Monday the 7th of February as Lots 50, 51 and 52, each signed and framed prints.