Ansel Adams (1902 -1984)

The Museum Set

Heidi Farmer

Art225

I recently visited the Saginaw Art Museum for the first time to see The Museum Set by Ansel Adams, a curated collection of the artist’s work including his well-known landscapes and somewhat lesser-known portraits.

While impressed with the clarity of every image, I chose to focus on “Cypress and Fog, Pebble Beach CA,” 1967, “Oak Tree, Snowstorm, Yosemite National Park,” 1948 and “Leaves, Mt Rainier National Park, Washington,” 1942, all of which are Silver Gelatin Prints.

The “Cypress and Fog” image was a close-up, cropped view of Cypress knees, emanating from the base of the tree in dark, slick, diagonals that suggested movement. Set against the light, leafy vegetation, it looks a bit like an explosion, as the ends of the knees were cropped, so you couldn’t tell how far they extended.

Adams landscapes always make me think, especially after taking this class, how much he must have loved these views, for the amazing amount of work that went into each one. Lugging the equipment alone, up and down snowy mountains, though deserts and rivers must have been extremely time consuming.

The image of the Oak was stark, the values much richer than anything I could produce in class. As with all of Adam’s images I am amazed by the clarity, and the time and work that went into producing it.

My favorite image was “Leaves, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.” I loved how he focused on the water droplets on one leaf on one plant in the entire forest. I was astonished by the delicacy of the detail of the ferns. The range of tints and shades of grey was so much fuller, richer, and deeper than images I have seen produced on film. I think it must be the silver gelatin medium that produces such clarity.

The social and political issues that these images represent for me are about access. Who has access to, and control over, theses spaces? While National Parks are said to be “…your land … my land…” the powers that be are trying to open them up for drilling and ‘fracking, which will effectively make them no one’s land.

These images represent, for me, the value of these wild, hard to reach places, the validity of bio-diversity, and the right of the world to remain undeveloped.

From a technical standpoint, I can see how the mages he created would take a lifetime of patients and tenacity. After experimenting this semester with the basics of black and white photography, I would say that the most fundamental aspect is good lighting.