Alfred StieglitzStieglitz espoused his belief in the aesthetic potential of the

medium and published work by photographers who shared his conviction.

Ansel Adams got his showing at Stieglitz’s gallery in 1936.

Steiglitz’s celebrated portrait of Georgia O'Keeffe (1997.61.19) was one of his chief occupations between 1917 and 1925, during which time he made several hundred photographs of the painter (who became his wife in 1924). His refusal to encapsulate her personality into a single image was consistent with several modernist ideas: the idea of the fragmented sense of self, brought about by the rapid pace of modern life; the idea that a personality, like the outside world, is constantly changing, and may be interrupted but not halted by the intervention of the camera; and, finally, the realization that truth in the modern world is relative and that photographs are as much an expression of the photographer's feelings for the subject as they are a reflection of the subject depicted.

Stieglitz worked tirelessly through his efforts as a photographer, collector, curator, writer, and publisher to secure photography's role as a legitimate medium of fine art.

Landscape PhotographyIn a Modern Era

Ansel Adams

1902 - 1984

Discuss the formal elements in this photograph? Is it pictorial?

“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.”-Ansel Adams

In September 1941, Adams contracted with the Department of the Interior to make photographs of National Parks, Indian reservations, and other locations for use as mural-sized prints for decoration of the Department's new building. Part of his understanding with the Department was that he might also make photographs for his own use, using his own film and processing. Although Adams kept meticulous records of his travel and expenses, he was less disciplined about recording the dates of his images, and neglected to note the date of Moonrise, so it was not clear whether it belonged to Adams or to the U.S. Government. But the position of the Moon allowed the image to eventually be dated from astronomical calculations, and it was determined that Moonrise was made on November 1, 1941, a day for which he had not billed the Department, so the image belonged to Adams. The same was not true for many of his other negatives, including The Tetons and the Snake River, which, having been made for the Mural Project, became the property of the U.S. Government.

Moonrise:

Lower Yosemite Fall

Yosemite Valley

Mono Lake Reflections

Zabriskie Point

Canyon De Chelly

Face of Half-Dome

Snow Covered Mountains

Valley View

Clearing Storm, Sonoma Hills

Fern Springs at Dusk

Oak Tree, Sunset City

Stream, Sea, Clouds, Rodeo Beach

White Branches, Mono Lake

Northern California Coast Redwoods

Winter Sunrise from Lone Pines

Where is the drama in your local landscape?

Cathedral Peak