Status Updates From Ansel Adams: A Biography

In piano he had learned how important was the relationship of each note to the 1 before &the 1 after. He applied the same concept to his photography. In Group f/64 he had learned to play all 88 notes, in photographic tonal terms; it has been his goal that every print should move fr bright white to deep black, w/ intermediate shades joining the display. He now believes the relationship b/w the times r most important

A power struggle b/w the Park Svc, overseen by the dept of the Interior, &the Forest Svc (controlled by the USDA) blocked the preservation of Kings Canyon. The Forest Svc controlled the lands&protested that it was a better steward than the Park Svc, which would take over if the canyon achieved national park status. The Sierra Club sent Ansel to the hearings on the establishment of Kings Canyon National Park in 1/1936

The Great Depression challenged American political &social values &prompted many American artists to take action. Two opposing camps, 1 believing u. Art for art’s sake (Group f/64) &the other championing art for life’s sake (Farm Security Adm: Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange etc). Edward Weston & Ansel persisted w/photographing trees/rocks, believing inspiration of beauty was most needed during such tragic times

Members of Group f/64: Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Alma Lavenson. Willard Van Dyke, Henry Swift, John Paul Edwards, Imogen Cunningham, Sonya Noskowiak, Brett Weston, Preston Holder, Consuela Kanaga

Group f/64 was a landmark in history of photography in that for the autumn of 1932, it marshaled 11 of the medium’s most influential&important artists, fr diverse backgrounds, under 1 philosophical banner. Together they swore allegiance to the unmanipulated, straight print, made using purely photographic methods. Altho they stayed together as a grp briefly, each would go on to press his/her own version of the cause

3 of images fr the Group f/64 exhibition r more important. Nevada Fall, Yosemite Valley is a direct expression of the practice of filling the picture space w/the object itself. In the Golden Gate before the Bridge, Ansel scaled the earth to man size &the sky to infinity, signals the inception of consistently detailed &great skies. Frozen Lake&Cliffs is one of the earliest abstract photographs made directly fr nature

Group f/64 had 2 commandments. 1st held that there was but 1 God, its manifestation was detail. The photographic lens could capture minutiae better than any other art form, photographs are best window on God. 2nd commandment admonished, thou shall not cover any other art by imposing its presence upon photography. Some intervention in making negatives & prints are allowed/expected, provided photographic in nature,