CSFA Exhibition Opening/SF Bay Area

[Merg Ross]

The Golden Decade, 1945-1955: an exhibition of photography by students of the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco opens tomorrow, September 4, 2010.

This was a talented group of photographers from Ansel Adams' classes at the school. Many went on to have long careers in the field, including Ira Latour, Rondal Partridge, Pirkle Jones, Ruth-Marion Baruch, Philip Hyde to name a few. Rondal and Ira are still going strong in their 90's.

The exhibit runs until October 15, 2010.

http://www.smithandersennorth.com/exhibits/current_exhibits.html

[Merg Ross]

The Golden Decade, 1945-1955: an exhibition of photography by students of the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco opens tomorrow, September 4, 2010.

This was a talented group of photographers from Ansel Adams' classes at the school. Many went on to have long careers in the field, including Ira Latour, Rondal Partridge, Pirkle Jones, Ruth-Marion Baruch, Philip Hyde to name a few. Rondal and Ira are still going strong in their 90's.

The exhibit runs until October 15, 2010.

http://www.smithandersennorth.com/exhibits/current_exhibits.html

I have just returned from the opening this evening. The crowd was large, and onto the sidewalk in unanticipated numbers. This is a terrific exhibition of well over a hundred extremely beautiful silver gelatin prints produced by a special group of photographers with unique vision. The 4x5 contact prints of Phillip Hyde, and others, are like little jewels.

I had the honor, although never thought in such terms at the time, of exhibiting beside fifteen of these photographers in 1954. It was my first exhibition, and played a large role in my dedication to a life in photography.

If you are anywhere close to this gallery, you will be well rewarded with a visit.

[Darin Boville]

Damn, they are closed today! Changing plans...

--Darin (will try again)

[Merg Ross]

Damn, they are closed today! Changing plans...

--Darin (will try again)

Closed today, and probably exhausted after hosting a party for hundreds!

Keep it on your calendar, Darin, and treat yourself to one of the finest photographic experiences to hit these parts in years.

For the record, the hours are Tue.-Fri. 10-6, Sat. 12-5.

What is fascinating about this exhibition is the diversity of the participants. Bear in mind that this group at CSFA, enrolled immediately after WWII. The story Nata Piaskowski told me in 1954 of her flight from Poland to the US is forever etched in my mind. Take a look at her work; it is as beautiful as she was a person. Her story is but one of many as you look into the biographies of this talented group.

The beauty is that they did not have a collective message like Group f:64, which preceeded them in the same city by slightly more than a decade. This was a group with an individual way of seeing, and without thought of place in the history of photography. Charles Wong, who I saw last evening for the first time since 1954, stopped photographing that very year. However, he has a wonderful collection of work to show for his short career which has recently been acknowledged.
http://www.velvetlenscap.com/page2.html.html

In viewing this exhibition, it is apparent that whatever raw talent arrived in the classroom, the personal vision was nurtured without interference from the teaching staff. The results speak well for both student and staff.

I encourage all that possibly can to have a look at this exhibition. There may be close to 150 photographs, although I do not have an official count. Regardless, it is not too many. Please report back.

[tgtaylor]

[QUOTE=Merg Ross;625208]The Golden Decade, 1945-1955: an exhibition of photography by students of the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco opens tomorrow, September 4, 2010.

This was a talented group of photographers from Ansel Adams' classes at the school. Many went on to have long careers in the field, including Ira Latour, Rondal Partridge, Pirkle Jones, Ruth-Marion Baruch, Philip Hyde to name a few. Rondal and Ira are still going strong in their 90's.

QUOTE]

Was Rondal Partridge a student at CSFA? He was Ansel's assistant in the 1930's so you wouldn't think he attended CSFA classes.

[Merg Ross]

[QUOTE=Merg Ross;625208]The Golden Decade, 1945-1955: an exhibition of photography by students of the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco opens tomorrow, September 4, 2010.

This was a talented group of photographers from Ansel Adams' classes at the school. Many went on to have long careers in the field, including Ira Latour, Rondal Partridge, Pirkle Jones, Ruth-Marion Baruch, Philip Hyde to name a few. Rondal and Ira are still going strong in their 90's.

QUOTE]

Was Rondal Partridge a student at CSFA? He was Ansel's assistant in the 1930's so you wouldn't think he attended CSFA classes.

Good point. CSFA lists his affiliation, my guess is he was an assistant, perhaps while his mother (Imogen Cunningham) was on the faculty. I can't imagine Ron sitting still long enough to be a student! I agree, he not only learned at a young age from his mother, but apprenticed to Dorothea Lange and Ansel as a teenager. By the time he was discharged from the Navy in '45, he probably had pretty well mastered the basics of photography.

I hope that you have an opportunity to see this exhibit.

[Merg Ross]

An update blog:

http://landscapephotographyblogger.com/reviews/over-500-people-attend-golden-decade-opening/

[Merg Ross]

To accommodate procrastinators, the exhibition has been extended to November 15, 2010. It is a display of excellent photography!

[Merg Ross]

To accommodate procrastinators, the exhibition has been extended to November 15, 2010. It is a display of excellent photography!

I visited the gallery again yesterday for another look, perhaps not my last. This is truly a stunning exhibit of work done by students with an individual vision. Some large format, some smaller. What a talented group. If there was ever question of the power of a 4x5 contact print, the answer is in some of these works.

There will be a closing reception on Saturday, November 13 from 2-6pm. A few of the participating photographers will be present.

http://www.smithandersennorth.com/exhibits/current_exhibits.html

[tgtaylor]

Thanks for jogging my attention to this exhibit Merg. It's on my list for this weekend.