AMERICAN MASTERS and Latino Public Broadcasting’s VOCES series join forces for the first time to explore the life and work of photographer Pedro E. Guerrero (September 5, 1917-September 13, 2012), a Mexican American, born and raised in segregated Mesa, Arizona, who had an extraordinary international photography career. AMERICAN MASTERS ”Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey” premieres Friday, September 18 on PBS during National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Your #PedroPBS Photos
Are you the next Pedro E. Guerrero? Share your photos of architecture, design and artists at work and tag them #PedroPBS on Instagram. View some of our favorites. For inspiration, see the Pedro E. Guerrero photo gallery, and don’t forget to follow AMERICAN MASTERS on Instagram!
Filmmakers Raymond Telles and Yvan Iturriaga (LATINO AMERICANS) showcase an in-depth, exclusive interview with Guerrero alongside his photography to explore his collaborations with three of the most iconic American artists of the 20th century: architect Frank Lloyd Wright and sculptors Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson. Using his outsider’s eye to produce insightful portraits of important modernist architecture, Guerrero became one of the most sought-after photographers of the “Mad Men” era, yet his story is largely unknown.
”Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey” highlights the milestones in Guerrero’s life: his serendipitous enrollment in photography classes, his 1939 meeting with Wright at Taliesin West (Scottsdale, Ariz.), his World War II service and his post-war magazine photography career in New York City, shooting interiors while his work with Wright continued. Settling in New Canaan, Conn., Guerrero describes his life after Wright’s death, his work with Calder and the end of his magazine assignments because of his vocal opposition to the Vietnam War.
This led to more work with Calder, and eventually, Nevelson. After Nevelson’s death, Guerrero, now 75 years old, returned to Arizona, where he lived until his death at age 95. Guerrero’s second wife and archivist Dixie Legler Guerrero; Nevelson’s granddaughter, sculptor Maria Nevelson; his friends, collaborators and architectural experts, including Martin Filler, also share insights and recollections.
“We at Latino Public Broadcasting are extremely pleased to partner with AMERICAN MASTERS on this film,” said LPB Executive Director Sandie Viquez Pedlow. “Pedro E. Guerrero is an important American artist whose work, until now, has been known to only a relatively small group of photography and architecture aficionados. Being showcased on AMERICAN MASTERS provides a high visibility platform to share his remarkable story and brilliant photographs with the American public; we hope the broadcast will finally give him the national recognition that has been long overdue.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Latino Public Broadcasting and VOCES to spotlight Pedro E. Guerrero’s talent on AMERICAN MASTERS. I hope the documentary and our accompanying national community engagement and education effort inspires a new generation of equally courageous photographers” said Michael Kantor, executive producer of AMERICAN MASTERS.
AMERICAN MASTERS ”Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey” will be available on DVD November 17, 2015, from PBS Distribution on ShopPBS.org; 800-PLAY-PBS, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The film will also be available for digital download.
Past episodes and clips from AMERICAN MASTERS are available for online viewing. AMERICAN MASTERS is on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and you can follow @PBSAmerMasters on Twitter. Latino Public Broadcasting is on Facebook, Google +, and you can follow @LPBMedia on Twitter.
Pedro E. Guerrero Photo Campaign
"Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero collaborated with three iconic American artists of the 20th century — architect Frank Lloyd Wright and sculptors Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson. Share your photos of architecture
Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer's Journey - Preview
An exclusive interview with Mexican-American photographer Pedro E. Guerrero explores his life and work. He collaborated with iconic American artists of the 20th century -- architect Frank Lloyd Wright and sculptors Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson -- and became one of the most sought-after photographers of the “Mad Men” era. A co-presentation with Latino Public Broadcasting's VOCES series.
Filmmaker Interview on Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero
"Raymond Telles and Yvan Iturriaga are co-directors and co-producers of American Masters — Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey. The filmmakers conducted an original interview with Guerrero in 2010 and used that as "the spine for telling his story
Pedro E. Guerrero's Frank Lloyd Wright Photography
"Pedro E. Guerrero began his career by photographing Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale
Alexander Calder: Works Photographed by Pedro E. Guerrero
"Photographs of Alexander Calder's mobile and stabile sculptures in open landscapes
Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero and Sculptor Louise Nevelson
"Photographer Pedro E. Guerrero describes the working style and art works of New York City sculptor Louise Nevelson
Pedro E. Guerrero's Photographs of a Connecticut Church
"Pedro E. Guerrero lived for many years in Connecticut
