Graciela Iturbide

This is a poetic, rhythmic biography written as a graphic novel and including many of the photographer's black and white photos, as well as the cartoons by one of the authors. Often quoting the artist Graciela Iturbide herself, this accessible and intriguing book brings the life story of one of Mexico's award winning photographers to a wide audience of readers. The emphasis is not on dates and documentation, but on what Graciela sees through her lens and her interpretation of the images. The show more book focuses on cultures and symbolism, especially birds. There is a feeling of sadness and grief permeating the images and narration. But ultimately the book provides a sense of triumph that Graciela was able to overcome the limited life prescribed for her by her culture and is able to express herself through her photos and share her vision by exhibiting in a variety of museum collections around the world. show less

If you still think of graphic books as lesser, or more like comic books, this will convince you otherwise.

Not a kid's book. Not too much that is mature/ disturbing for teens, but a quick search for more related content showed me images I did not actually want to see.

I agree with the notes that Iturbide's is not surreal or magical, but very, very real. And poetic. Yes.

One thing that this bio reveals is noteworthy - Iturbide admits that she believed Mexico and India to be similar, to have a show more lot in common (perspectives, significance of traditions, focal points of land- and city-scapes, etc., iiuc)... but then she went to India and found that each country has its own magnificence. I appreciate biographies that reveal flaws or naiveties in their subjects... and that show how the subject can learn and grow.... show less

I'm not usually a fan of biographies that stray too far from fact, but while this one walks right on the line with its poetic digressions, it manages to justify the style by crawling into the head of its subject. Iturbide's photographs are well integrated into the narrative.

Still, it is more paean than biography, and since it is produced by the museum that owns a lot of Iturbide's photographs, that relentless positivity gives the book the whiff of advertorial.

From the non linear narrative to the wonderful meshing of Iturbide's mythologically significant images with the story, this book has a lot to offer. Challenging, even as its subject challenges. Beautiful, as her vision inspires. Disturbing, because death is disturbing, and so very present underneath the story.