Pedro E. Guerrero (1917-2012) saw an image and knew how to photograph it.
Frank Lloyd Wright, the illustrious architect, recognized this talent and availed himself of Guerrero’s expertise until his death in 1959.
No other American photographer was as closely associated with Wright as Guerrero. But Guerrero was not merely a one-trick pony. He also worked with the renowned sculptors Alexander Calder and Louise Nevelson, both of whom admired his skills.
Guerrero’s life and career are the subject of American Masters –Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer’s Journey, which will be broadcast by the PBS network on Friday, September 18 at 9 p.m. during National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. The co-directors are Raymond Telles and Yvan Iturriaga.
Guerrero, born and raised in Arizona, fell in love with photography from the moment he developed his first roll of film. Years later, deep into old age, he was still amazed by the alchemy caused by a click of the shutter.
This intriguing documentary takes us full circle, from his days as a youth in Mesa, where he grew up, to his retirement years in Florence, where he died at 95.
After graduating from high school, he followed his older brother to Los Angeles and enrolled at the Art Center in nearby Pasadena. By chance, he took the photography class. When he was 22, he showed his portfolio to Wright, ingratiating himself with him by admitting his ignorance of architecture.
Bemused by his honesty, he hired the young Mexican American to photograph his desert home in Taliesin West, or Scottsdale. Wright appreciated the natural lighting and rich textures he brought to his photographs. As for Guerrero, he held Wright in awe.
During World War II, Guerrero served overseas. When he returned, he settled in New York City and began working for major magazines like Vogue and House & Garden. He became one of the leading architectural photographers, but his career tanked due to his vocal opposition to the war in Vietnam.
Bouncing back from adversity, he redeemed himself by working for Calder and Nevelson, both of whom were eccentrics. In the wake of their deaths, he went back to Arizona, spending the last two decades of his life there.
Guerrero comes across as a humble, highly spirited and remarkable man who never lost his joie de vivre or zest for his craft. It’s not hard to understand why three of the most iconic figures in American architecture and art valued him so much.