Generation V...a Group Show at the Ansel Adams Gallery

[Vaughn]

Sorry that I do not have a press release to share, but I will be in a group show at the Ansel Adams Gallery from April 6 to May 31st. The opening will be held on May 10th. The other participants scheduled to be in the show:
Bob Kolbrener
John Sexton
Jeff Conley
Mark Citret
Kerik Kouklis
Alan Ross
Ray McSavaney

I should have a couple 8x10 carbon prints up. Fresh snow in Yosemite Valley this morning as shown in the webcams. I have given a couple workshops in the Vally during April -- the weather can be interesting. During the 5-day workshops we have had snow, rain, and sunny warm weather -- all during the same workshop!

I'll be camping in the Valley April 13th, 14th, 15th and possible the 16th (with my three boys), then back again for the weekend of the Opening Reception on May 10th (without the boys). Hope to see some LF'ers there!

http://www.anseladams.com/gallery-exhibits-in-yosemite/

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I'll be there! Congratulations!!

[lecarp]

Congratulations Vaughn!
Generation V ??

[Vaughn]

I believe that is for five generations since the founding of Best Studios/Ansel Adams Gallery in 1901. A generation is somewhere between 20 and 30 years, depending on the place and culture...there is no official span of time between generations.

They (AA Gallery) is putting on a series of shows, with this one kicking it off. See the link in the OP to see the rest of the upcoming shows.

[Vaughn]

I stand corrected...the "V" stands Zone V, and all that entails in the history of Yosemite and photography:


In the later years of his life, Ansel Adams was frequently spotted driving in and around Yosemite, clearly identifiable by the vanity plates adorning his car. These plates read "Zone V," and were an homage to the math and science behind the art of photography. This mathematical Zone System, which Ansel developed along with Fred Archer in the mid-1930's, consisted of 11 zones of light, with zone V - or middle grey - representing the center of the scale. It became the industry standard for photographers attempting to convert the quality of the light they were physically seeing into the most functional (and ultimately, powerful) negative possible. Simply put, the Zone System made life more organized for anyone working in the photographic medium, and it helped dictate Ansel's proficiency in capturing the images of Yosemite that have resonated with generations of photographers, visitors, and of course, politicians.

As part of our continuing celebration of The Yosemite Grant's 150 anniversary, The Ansel Adams Gallery will put forth its own tribute to the Zone System by hosting an exhibition dedicated to contemporary photographers working in the exposure, developing and/or printing process that Ansel espoused many years ago, and who continue the tradition of using the Zone System to chronicle the beauty of Yosemite. Titled "Generation V," this exhibition will include work by John Sexton, Alan Ross, Jeff Conley, Vaughn Hutchins, Kerik Kouklis, Mark Citret, Bob Kolbrener and Ray McSavaney, and will open on April 6th and close on May 31st, 2014 with a reception for artist's held on May 10th from 3-5 PM.

[Drew Wiley]

I think it should stand for five phases of glaciation which carved out Yosemite Valley in the first place, though there will no doubt be debate about exactly how to
classify that into five discrete pigeonholes. It would be nice to remember the Valley for something more profound than what kind of Roman numerals you happen to
ink onto the top of your of spotmeter.

[ROL]

Geezus, Drew. I think it entirely appropriate that a facility devoted to photography might exhibit and make note of practitioners of a system of photography made (in)famous by its namesake. There are plenty of nature trails, kiosks, and an entire visitor center, etc. allocated to Yosemite's ever-present, inescapable geology. For many Valley visitors, knowledgeable or neophyte, AA is at least as profound as John Muir. By your logic, I assume you also object to pix of rock climbers at YMS using the geology for their own purpose, Grade V or otherwise. :rolleyes:

Congrats Vaughn (and thanks for the clarification).

[Kerik Kouklis]

I'll be there for the opening as well. Looking forward to it!

[Vaughn]

I guess I should have claimed it was for; Generation Vaughn :cool:

Excellent, Kerik!

[Ken Lee]

Sorry to be on the wrong coast to see it. Congratulations :)

[Drew Wiley]

If I'm in the neighborhood I'll stop in specifically to see what Vaughn is up to, Ben .... But scuse me if I have a grudge again' them gallery folk... When thet wahr
our backyerd, and I wuz a lil one, thet thar gallery had all kinda lil ceramic chipmunks etc set rat on the edges of the shelvin, jes so lil tykes like me would knock em
off, and our daddy have to pay fer em, and pooor lil fellers like me might get a whoopin fer hit... an I did! Felt safer to put ones hands in the fate of mother nature
and stand below a rockslide, appropriately named for some grand glacial epoch and not the V (5) XXXXX's on AA's Stetson, which was probably the real source of
the Zone System. ... he could tell the intensity of the light by which "X" the shadow of his nose fell upon. That's why it got bent. In the southern hemisphere it would have ended up bent the opposite direction. "Follow the light" as they say.

[ROL]

I knew you were better than your first post, Drew. I guess you just ran out of flies to pull the wings off of. AA lamented the raft of ceramic curios sold at Best's and worked towards the establishment of a finer art establishment. It turns out visitors preferred commemorative knickknacks to fine art photography, paintings and sculpture. Not much has changed.


FYI: It is news to me that the Coriolis Force*, apparent though it may be, also applied to light (or noses as I believe AA himself might have claimed, of his own crooked proboscis). Go figure.












* Proof that once in a very great while, I actually do make it through a post by Drew.:p

[Drew Wiley]

I haven't ever been in the southern hemisphere, but the closer I have gotten to the equator, the more things seem to read Zone V all the time, so that was a hunch on my part. Actually, my parents learned quickly and generally kept me from running inside Best Studio, as it was then called, while my older brother went in to look at the prints. He told me they were ten for $40 back then - though these were small and no doubt made by assistants for such sales purposes, and probably not by AA directly, but who knows. I never paid attention to AA until I was already doing LF color photography. I've always considered the Zone System to be just another tool, simple enough - but having spent having spent so much time in the high Sierra, instantly appreciated AA's sensitivity to the light, in a way probably only a few of us can. He got a bit theatrical at times, esp on some of his most famous shots, but nonetheless looked at things very thoughtfully and had a real poetic streak. I've taken less than half a dozen shots ever in Yos Valley, even though I lived near there - always preferred less crowded places. As you know,
Ben, there are some section of that park with almost nobody around.

[Kirk Gittings]

Wow sounds great. Wish I could get there. Some fine photographers there whose work I have never seen in the flesh.

[36cm2]

What a great lineup. Wish I was on the left coast for that one. Have seen Vaughn's work - wonderful stuff. Congrats!

Leo

[Bill Burk]

I remember touching some carved wooden nicknacks about the same time I stood in awe of The Tetons and the Snake River which I think was around $1,500 at the time ('78-'80). I daydreamed about buying it, and I would have. Except I was still in college.

Instead I came home with my own photographs.

I couldn't make it up today, had a visit to a gallery more local...

But I'd like to make a trip up if I can before the show ends. If not, I am sure Vaughn, I'll get to see your next, or the one after that.

I like the premise of the show, Generation V is a good moniker.

[Terry Hayden]

Congratulations Vaughn - gives me a good excuse to head up to the Valley!

[Curt]

Congratulations Vaughn on the show! There will be some outstanding work to see.

[Tri Tran]

Congrats Vaughn. Hope all your prints will be sold out at the opening night :).

[Vaughn]

Congrats Vaughn. Hope all your prints will be sold out at the opening night :).

Thanks! That would be nice...but it is not the usual art-mob hitting the Yosemite Valley openings that one finds in San Fran and elsewhere.

I got to see the show last week -- always fun to see what prints were chosen to show. I might have chosen mine a little differently, but, again, that is what is fun. The show looks great. A couple of my prints are within spitting distance of one of AA's Half Dome images. Great company!

The Art Mob is out tonight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYGDryEFLxc

[blueribbontea]

Congratulations Vaughn. Guess I will see my first live carbon print. We'll be staying in the valley the 15th 16th and 17th.

Bill

[Vaughn]

Thanks, Bill! Have a great time in the Valley (and perhaps the road over the pass will be open, too). I have two carbon prints on the main walls and one behind the cashier's counter. Also, one can request to see more images in their fine-print room, depending on what is going on in the Gallery (I have a few more carbons and some platinum prints in a box back there.) That would give you the opportunity to see a carbon print a bit closer and without glass in front of it.

I will be there the weekend before your arrival -- I hope to give the 11x14 some more exercise as it is getting fat -- or at least it feels heavier to me these days!