"Ansel Adams in Our Time"

[Oren Grad]

...will be at the Boston MFA from December 13, 2018 – February 24, 2019.

https://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/ansel-adams-in-our-time

[Vaughn]

I was hoping you were among the 20 present-day photographers in the show.

[David Schaller]

Thank you for the notice Oren. I will certainly have to see this show.
Dave

[Oren Grad]

I saw the show yesterday afternoon. It's very large, plenty of material to see. It occupies the entire Gund gallery, which is the basement-level space underneath the atrium between the old buildings and the new Art of the Americas wing. The individual rooms are organized by themes - National Parks, San Francisco, Southwest, etc. I'm happy to report that the layout is well-spaced and the illumination throughout is adequate to see the prints clearly.

The Adams material, drawn from the Lane collection, is a mix of greatest hits and less familiar material, small and large prints, and early, mid and late work. There are at least a couple of examples of two renderings of the same negative, which are very nice for close study. Also included is a set of the Parmelian Prints.

The complementary work was chosen to show how others have approached the same themes. The photographers represented range from pre-Adams (e.g. Carleton Watkins, Eadweard Muybridge) to photographers still active, and the styles from classical large format realism to avant-garde digital conceptual work. Both color and B&W are included, as well as a range of capture and print media. Some items that stood out for me were a selection of Mark Klett's re-photography work, a group of three 7x17 platinum prints of southwestern scenes by Lois Conner, and a set of beautifully-executed B&W silver prints from Mark Ruwedel's "Westward the Course of Empire" series.

Also, a special bonus for Forum folk: two large prints from Bryan Schutmaat's "Grays the Mountain Sends" series, showing panoramic views of... Tonopah, NV!

[JMB]

the 20 present-day photographers in the show.

Haven't seen the show, but I never grow weary of Ansel Adams --spent hours with a roomful of his prints just last week. Every time I see a collection of Adams' prints I marvel at his talents as artist and craftsman. Despite his great world-wide fame and influence I always come away after a visit with his work thinking that the man is still underrated, and I think often mis-appreciated, too.

But at least the video preview of the supplementary contemporary aspect of the exhibition, astonishingly, highlights only certain confused interpretations, which actually suggest an Anti-Adams-in-our-Time show.

[Peter De Smidt]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/arts/design/national-parks-ansel-adams-photography.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Art%20%20Design

I've merged this as the linked article is a review of the Boston show. -- Oren