Fritz Henle / Mexico
“Correct exposure, exact development, careful enlarging,”
Fritz Henle
Throckmorton Fine Art is pleased to announce our upcoming fall exhibition of exquisite images: Fritz Henle / Mexico. In 1936 Henle saw Mexico for the first time and, impressed by the paradoxical country with its centuries-old cultures and its revolution into modernism, began plans for a photographic essay. This carefully planned camera record of Mexico was undertaken at the invitation of the Mexican government. The work was begun in 1942 and continued over a period of several years.
Fritz Henle (1909 – 1993) was born in Dortmund, Germany. Self-taught in the field of photography from an early age, Henle set up a darkroom in the basement of his family residence in Dortmund. Hanna Seewald made it possible for the photographer to attend the Bayersche Staatlchranstalt fùr Lichtbildwesen school of photography in 1930-31. Her decision was based on a portfolio of work which was shown to the director of the school. It was apparent that Fritz was well acquainted with the darkroom and possessed great ability.
Fritz Henle’s photographs need no words. They speak the language of the Mexican people. And they tell the story of poverty and plenty, of resignation and rebellion, with all the revealing light and shadow, which words alone cannot convey. The effect of the past on the shape of the present is evident. The fusion of old Spanish culture and individualism with the even older Indian collectivism and the modern scientific techniques of the twenty -first century continue, and the progressive stages of fusion can still be seen. Here, in all their power, are a brilliant group of images revealing Mexico!
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