-
Graciela Iturbide Mexican, b. 1942
La frontera, Tijuana, Baja California, México, 1989Silver Gelatin Print
14 x 11 in
35.6 x 27.9 cmFurther images
Following her project for 'A Day in the Life of America,' Graciela Iturbide returned to Southern California, extending her trip to include San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. During this period,...Following her project for "A Day in the Life of America," Graciela Iturbide returned to Southern California, extending her trip to include San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. During this period, thousands camped near the border, hoping to cross into the United States. La frontera features a man facing away from the camera near the Tijuana border, his back revealing a prominent Virgin of Guadalupe tattoo. As Mexico’s revered patron saint, the Virgin symbolizes grace, pride, identity, and protection, often linked to the Aztec goddess Tonantzin. This imagery highlights how Iturbide merges devotion, heritage, and daily life, making the body a living expression of Mexican spirituality.Provenance
Graciela Iturbide's StudioExhibitions
Graciela Iturbide: Serious Play, The International Center of Photography, New York, NY; curator: Carlos Gollonet, 2025 (catalogue)
Graciela Iturbide: Las Californias, Ruiz Healy Art, New York, NY, 2025 (catalogue)Graciela Iturbide, Heliotropo 37, Fondation Cartier, Paris, France; curators: Alexis Fabry and Marie Perennès, 2022 (catalogue)
Visualizing the Virgin Mary, J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, 2022-23
Graciela Iturbide: Cuando Habla La Luz., Palacio de Iturbide, Mexico City; curator: Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera, 2018-2019 (catalogue)
The Goat's Dance: Photographs by Graciela Iturbide, J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center, Los Angeles; curator: Judith Keller, 2007-08 (catalogue)Literature
Jiménez-Stuard, Natalia. “An acclaimed photographer’s black-and-white dreamscapes, in 3 New York shows.” The Washington Post, January 9, 2026 (illustrated)
Romo, Ricardo. “Ricardo Romo’s Tejano Report 12.05.2025 Graciela Iturbide Borderland Images.” latinopia, December 5, 2025 (illustrated)
“Graciela Iturbide: Las Californias.” Meer, November 8, 2025 (illustrated)
Publications
Exhibition catalogue, Graciela Iturbide: Serious Play. Madrid: Fundación MAPFRE and Editorial RM, 2025, p. 197(illustrated)
Exhibition catalogue, Graciela Iturbide: Las Californias. New York: Ruiz Healy Art, editor: Patricia Ruiz-Healy, 2025, p. 25 and cover (illustrated)
Exhibition catalogue, Graciela Iturbide, Heliotropo 37. Paris: Fondation Cartier, 2022, p. 265 (illustrated)
Exhibition catalogue, Coronel Rivera, Juan Rafael, and Rosa Casanova. Graciela Iturbide: Cuando Habla La Luz. Mexico City: Fomento Cultural Banamex, Turner Publications, SL, 2018, p. 101 (illustrated)
