Tina Modotti published by Phaidon, 2006, www.phaidon.com

Prominent for her independence and political involvement, Tina Modotti's work was integral to the modern photography movement. It was evident throughout most of her work that her drive was rooted in sociopolitical principles and strong communist ideology although she used a modern, minimalist approach to her photography. She floated from affairs with photographers and artists, influencing and affecting each of them but never staying for too long. Phaidon has maintained their reputation of producing beautiful gallery-type books with TINA MODOTTI (Phaidon, March 2006), a collection of Tina Modotti's work, which thankfully includes her photography as well as projects she inspired. At first, one sees she is skilled at capturing photographs of artistically appealing objects such as architectural design (zigzag walls in View of Rooftops, Mexico City c.1924), and botany (Calla Lilies, 1925). But as early as 1926 the young Modotti is torn between her artistic and political endeavors, brilliantly demonstrated in the contrast of Labour Parade, Mexico City, 1926 and Workers' Parade, Mexico City, 1926. Modotti's sophisticated and elegant images bring a new realization to the modern plight of the working class: to survive and achieve. In a capitalist society, we are shocked by images such as Railway Worker's Daughter, 1928. This poverty and struggle which is still persistent today in Central America, is very much unreal and abstract to our society. As her reputation grew, Modotti continued taking dramatic portraits throughout 1929 of high-status actors and artists but in addition to her achievement as a sociopolitical pioneer in photography, she captured soft images of relationships of mothers with their children. Modotti was unable to have children herself, and her curiosity of the maternal behaviour intrigued her. The many aspects of her photographic career have been outlined seamlessly and comprehensively in TINA MODOTTI (Phaidon, March 2006), which contains an informative biography, a unique collection of Modotti's work, and a chronological table of her affairs, projects, and milestones.

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