Ansel Adams: Exhibition Review

Ansel Adams is one of the celebrated American Photographers. A collection of his works were exhibited in the National Maritime museum from November 2012.
I went to the exhibition on a Saturday morning and there was a fair number of people attending. The exhibition was divided according to his years in photography and the themes of nature Ansel had photographed. His photographs have a stunning depth of fields and seeing Super-sized photographs made me realise how a scale of photographs can affect the viewer. I don't think the super sized photos would have the same impact on the viewers if they were smaller. They also had a small room with a projection of ansel's documentary which was really interesting as there were comments about his early start in photographic career. He was at the peak of his career when the Great Depression of America started, but it didn't stop him from experimenting in his darkroom. Also, during that time, his practices caught the attention of photographers like Henri Cartier Bresson who famously commented (about the Great Depression of America on Ansel)"The world is falling to pieces, and Adams and Weston are taking pictures of rocks!"

  Most of his stunning photographs were taken in Yosemite Valley, California. He captures the spirit and the beauty of the nature that surrounded him in stunning shades of greys. Adam's signature style has evolved from when he first started taking photos as some of his early photographs were displayed too. His style is dramatic tonal contrast with precise focus and beautiful shades of grey.
Also, there are no trace of humanity at all in the exhibition photographs (except for his own portraits).Maybe he wanted the viewers to see and feel what he felt while surrounded by the breathtaking views of his home state. His photographs of flowing rivers, immaculate clouds over the sky, close up "extracts" of shipwrecks,taken in sharpest focus and almost dream like surreal tones in were breathtakingly beautiful.

"Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space. I know of no sculpture, painting or music that exceeds the compelling spiritual command of the soaring shape of granite cliff and dome, of patina of light on rock and forest, and of the thunder and whispering of the falling, flowing waters. At first the colossal aspect may dominate; then we perceive and respond to the delicate and persuasive complex of nature."