Latinx Photography in the United States: A Visual History

by Elizabeth Ferrer

Whether at UFW picket lines in California's Central Valley or capturing summertime street life in East Harlem, Latinx photographers have documented fights for dignity and justice as well as the daily lives of ordinary people. Their powerful, innovative photographic art touches on family, identity, protest, borders, and other themes, including the experiences of immigration and marginalization common to many of their communities. Yet the work of these artists has largely been excluded from the documented history of photography in the United States.

Through individual profiles of more than eighty photographers from the early history of the photographic medium to the present, Elizabeth Ferrer introduces readers to Latinx portraitists, photojournalists, and documentarians and their legacies. She traces the rise of a Latinx consciousness in photography in the 1960s and '70s and the growth of identity-based approaches in the 1980s and '90s. Ferrer argues that in many cases a shared sense of struggle has motivated photographers to work purposefully, driven by a deep sense of resistance, social and political commitments, and cultural affirmation, and she highlights the significance of family photos to their approaches and outlooks. Works range from documentary and street photography to narrative series to conceptual projects. Latinx Photography in the United States is the first book to offer a parallel history of photography, one that no longer lies at the margins but rather plays a crucial role in imagining and creating a broader, more inclusive American visual history.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction

280 pages, Hardcover

Published January 14, 2021

Reviews

[Frederic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable contribution to the literature on photography history, but not the balance I'd ideally want. There are only 11 pages devoted to the period up to 1960; 27 pages for 1960-80; there is a 19-page section specifically focused on Puerto Rico (which is a rich enough history to warrant its own book [a project already done, but could be updated] and as a US territory is in a sort of liminal position for the scope of this one); the remaining c.130 pages cover 1980 to the present. This perhaps shouldn't be surprising for an author whose main area is contemporary art, and reflects the emphasis on 'art' photography over other categories – commercial and family photography are probably more dominant in earlier periods, and are not given much attention here – but is disappointing for a work standing as representing 'history'. The profiles of different photographers ("more than eighty", per the back cover) make a decent introduction to the range of people, cultures, and styles contained within "Latinx" photography. The number, size, and print quality of photos included is adequate to get an interested reader started.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I feel the “story” of Latinx photographers told in the book is somewhat disjointed, I also believe that that makes it feel more realistic. When I say disjointed I’m referring to the lack of balance. It mainly focuses on Mexican/Chicanx, Cuban, and Puerto Rican photographers, while also jumping through vast time periods in one chunk of time only to revisit them later. However, it makes sense when thinking about the parallels between these different Latin ancestries and how the photographers impacted each other and the US as a whole. The research is very thorough, and gives a great sense for each artist at a high level. Overall, a great piece of literature to reflect contributions of many peoples that are not given enough credit to their impact on modern art and US culture.

[Kevin Bjorke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entirely delivers on the simple promise of its title, I loved this book for revealing so much history I had never known, and introducing me to some great photography and photographers, of course! If you love pictures, tis is a great book. If you love Latinx culture, this is a great book. If you are American, this is a great book.

[Nick Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Ferrer has researched and compiled an extensive documentation of the history of Latinx photography at n the United States. If you love art, photography and/ or cultural studies, this book should be in your library.

[Chris]

I mainly examined the compelling photos in this art catalog/art history textbook and read the high-level preface and afterword.

"Latina/Latino/Latinx author" on the 2022 Seattle Public Library Book Bingo card, thanks to the SPL bingo recommendations page.

[Miguel Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Survey mostly

[Laura Anderson Barbata · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides an in-depth history of the work of Latinx photographers in the United States. It also reveals the important presence of Latinx communities in the fight for Civil Rights and social justice in the United States.

[Marian P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Latinx photographers have been given agency to tell their own stories over the last few decades. That goal is embodied in Elizabeth Ferrer’s path breaking visual history, Latinx Photography in the United States. Works in the book are varied and include documentary and street photography, conceptual images, and archival projects. The book is a project that recovers the cultural production of a distinct group which had been largely absent from the medium of photography, ---or there is no book-length work or museum exhibition on the subject. as Ferrer’s work seeks to fill that historiographical gap, or as she puts it, Latinx photographers offer “essential contributions to the visual history of the nation.” (xxi) This approach has fundamentally transformed the creative landscape. Aperture opens. Angle widens. Landscape broadens. It is not mere transformation of visual representation, but expansion of those considered artists. Broadening the landscape to include Latinx photographers inherently alters the relationship between artist and subject. Ferrer argues cogently, “As the photographer/subject relationship shifted from outsider/insider to insider/insider, the photograph became less ethnographic document than an autonomous and self-validating form of individual and community expression.” (xx)