Adams at the de Young
The de Young Museum in San Francisco is currently running an exhibition of photography by Ansel Adams, entitled Ansel Adams in Our Time. The exhibition showcases over one hundred of his images, placed “in direct conversation with contemporary artists and the photographers who influenced him.” It’s no secret that Ansel Adams has significantly influenced me, so I knew I’d have to go. Adams’ work, however, is so ubiquitous at this point that I honestly wasn’t sure how much I’d get from it. I shouldn’t have underestimated the experience, though.
Visiting a gallery and studying a famous painting up close can be a rewarding experience. Even if you’ve seen the artwork thousands of times in books, in print form, or on souvenirs, it’s different in person. You can look at the brush strokes in three dimensions and imagine the artist applying them. It feels intimate and authentic in a way that’s hard to explain. Photography is a little different, though, especially in the modern era. The artist can send off a digital file and have the image commercially produced. They might never have been in the same room as the print, so how is it different from a well-produced book?
With the prints on display, I knew Adams had actually worked on these prints. He came from an era when skills in the darkroom were as crucial as those in the field, and his touch was as evident as a brush stroke. And, of course, his signature was in the corner, lightly inscribed in pencil. I could feel his presence in the room.
The second pleasant surprise in the exhibition was the work of the contemporary artists that brought an extra dimension and context to Adams’ work. Two artists in particular really inspired me: Chris McCaw and Will Wilson.
Sunburned by Chris McCaw stunned me. This gelatin silver negative was a long exposure that followed the sun’s arc across the sky. The sun’s image was literally burnt into the picture. It was elemental, unconventional, and honest. The scorch marks were as tangible as any brush strokes. Will Wilson’s How the West Is One caught me a little off guard because these dual tintype portraits looked so much older than they were. Through subject and medium, both McCaw and Wilson’s images play with your sense of time in a way that deeply resonated with me.
