AmericaJR.com [ New Ansel Adams exhibit will amaze you at the DIA ]

A new exhibit has opened at the DIA featuring 125 photographs of America’s landscapes, cityscapes, wilderness, mountains and architecture. There are also photographs of ordinary people just living their lives.

Ansel Adams is the photographer whose works are now on display at the Detroit museum. He was a very patient man who waited hours and even days to get the perfect shot. All of the photos in the exhibit were taken between 1919 and 1967. He took shots that other photographers couldn’t. You can experience them now through May 27th at the DIA.

“The photographs in this exhibition showcase the artistry and technical ability that enabled Ansel Adams to take photography to a new level,” said Graham W.J. Beal, director of the DIA in a press release. “While many people might have posters, calendars and other items that feature Adams’ images, it is truly amazing to see his original photographs. It is an experience not to be missed.”

All of the photos within the exhibit are from the Lane Collection. They are owned by Saundra B. Lane who owns over 600 pieces of modern photographs.

Upon entering the exhibit, you will see a “Wind Juniper Tree” photograph. This piece was photographed in 1919. It uses a very soft focus and it appears asymmetrical. The paper Adams used to print the photo has a yellow tint to it.

The DIA features two photos taken by Ansel Adams of the “Monolith Face of Half Dome.” The first photo is smaller and was taken in 1927. Adams was only 25 years old then he took this photo. He had a fire in his photography studio where he kept his negatives. He was on a hiking trip when he noticed this amazing sight. Adams used a red filter to make the sky appear darker. He printed the same photo again somewhere between 1950 and 1960. The larger photo is the most recent one.

The second room you will enter is called “Group f/64.” It is based on the f-stop and is also the name for a group of four photographers that Adams was a part of. It is the smallest aperture that a camera is capable of. He used large negatives to print the photos you will see in this gallery.

Within the f/64 section, you will see a photo called “Rose Driftwood.” This is a photograph of a pale rose that Ansel Adams picked from his mother’s garden. It was taken in 1932. The beautiful rose shows the feminine side of Adams.

As you enter the Ansel Adams exhibit, walk straight and turn to your right. You will notice an amazing shot of San Francisco before the Golden Gate Bridge was built. It was taken from 1932. This is the view from Adam’s family home. It offers a unique opportunity to see what the city looked like before the bridge was constructed.

Ansel Adams lived in a small Southern California town called Carmel. He was a teacher at various photography workshops and even owned his own gallery for a short period of time. He passed through Detroit but didn’t take any photos here when he visited in the 1940s.

Adams’ most famous print is called “Moonrise.” This photo was taken in 1941 as he was driving along Highway 84. He stopped along the highway and stood on top of his car with a camera. Adams waited until the time was right to get the perfect shot. He couldn’t find his light meter so he had to estimate the exposure. The reflection of the crosses and the heavy moon in the middle inspired Adams to take this shot.

He treated the negatives to get the awesome contrasts that you see in the photo today. Adams made 1,300 prints of this photo and sold them. It is his most famous and sough after piece of artwork.

“Adams was one of the rare people who understood the beauty of photography,” said Nancy Barr, Curator of the DIA. "He was a pioneer in spreading the word."

At the midway point of the exhibit, you will come upon the New York gallery. Adams traveled to NYC on commercial assignments. He made the trip from California to show his work at Alfred Stieglitz’s gallery which became known as American Place. The two became very good friends there.

While inside the NY gallery at the DIA, you will see a photograph of the Manhattan “cityscape from the Barbizon Plaza Hotel.” Experts believe Adams was looking south from the midtown area when he took this shot in the 1940’s. You can see the Empire State building in this wonderful depiction of New York City.

Another photo inside the NY gallery is a shot that Adams took of his fellow friend Alfred Stieglitz. Stieglitz is pictured sitting in his storeroom alongside some of his photographs. There are a total of six photos in this particular gallery.

During the 1930’s and 1940’s, many museums didn’t view photography as a part of art. Ansel Adams established the photography department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He made photography popular in the eyes of American culture.

After leaving the New York gallery, you can walk straight across and enter the “Hornito’s” gallery. This portion of the exhibit features people that Adams met along his career. Hornito’s was a small gold mining town in California during the 1940’s. This gallery contains six photos including a man and his dog, two tombstones at a cemetery, residents reading a newspaper, a church and fence, St. Catherine’s church and graffiti on a wall.

Have you ever been amazed watching the tide at a beach? It caught Adam’s attention while he was traveling Highway Pacific 1. He took a sequence of five shots to show the tide hitting the beach. Each shot is unique in its own way. The water never reaches the same point as it did before. The stretch of land that is photographed was cold, desolate, not populated and not developed in 1940.

“Surf Sequence” is not in any particular order. Ansel Adams gave each shot a number but it’s not known if they are ordered by time, location or any other factor. The DIA has these shots in order the way Adams wanted them to be.

Just a few feet from the Surf Sequence, you will notice an “Asian Folding Screen.” The screen features a shot of grass coming out of a pond in 1938. Adams built it for his private friends. There are 12 of these folding screens in existence around the world. He mounted the photographs onto the plywood.

One of my favorite photographs is Ansel Adams’ self-portrait. Adams was standing in Monument Valley on the border of Arizona and Utah with the sun behind him. He was standing on a cliff holding a light meter. This photograph shows a wide array of colors from white to several shades of grey to black. You can even see his personal tripod in this shot. Adams took this photo while he was in his 50’s.

A fact that many don’t know is that Ansel Adams received three fellowship grants from the Guggenheim Foundation. He used the money to photograph America’s national parks for the U.S. Department of Interior.

At the DIA, you can his photograph of Mount McKinley as taken from Wonder Lake, Alaska. The weather was never cooperating here so Adams was forced to take the shot in the middle of the night. This particular shot was taken in the spring with an 8” x 10” view camera. It was his third favorite place in the world.

Another cool photo at the exhibit is one called “sodium sulphite crystals.” This is a shot of photo chemicals drying on a tray. It was taken inside Adams’ personal darkroom located in Carmel. It is really unique and I’ve never seen anything like it before.

The DIA exhibit also includes two photos of Aspen trees in two different states. The smaller shot is from Colorado and was taken in 1937. The larger shot is from New Mexico in 1958. It reveals a different interpretation of the same subject. Three Aspen trees are highlighted in the foreground while several others are darker in the background. The effect was created by using the timing of the sun.

The very last photo is one that Ansel Adams took for the University of California. It is a shot a freeway interchange in Los Angeles. Adams wanted to show the rapid growth that was occurring on the west coast. In this photo, you can see hundreds of cars on the highway. It also shows new ramps that haven’t been completed yet.

While at the DIA, I would encourage you to visit the gift shop. There, you can purchase memorabilia from the Ansel Adams exhibit. Prices are very reasonable. Prints from the exhibit cost between $20 and $30. You can even take home a PBS Home Video about the photographer for $20. The store also carries several books that Adams wrote himself. Postcards are 75 cents each or 30 for $10.99.

The Ansel Adams exhibit runs from now until May 27th at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for adult groups of 20 or more and $5 for everyone between the ages of 5 and 17. If you are a member of the DIA, you get in FREE. All prices include admission and an audio tour. To purchase tickets, call 877.342.8497 or visit http://tickets.dia.org/

Ansel Adams, Self-Portrait, Monument Valley, Utah, 1958; gelatin silver print. The Lane Collection.

Ansel Adams, Aspens, Northern New Mexico, 1958; gelatin silver print. The Lane Collection.

Ansel Adams, Freeway Interchange, Los Angeles, 1967; gelatin silver print. The Lane Collection.

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