Ansel Adams Exhibition Oxford 2 Apr -1 Jun

pentaxuser · Mar 19, 2008

There is an exhibition of more than 70 original AA prints at Modern Art Oxford situated at 30 Pembroke Place, Oxford during the above period. No mention of whether there is an admission charge or not

More details available from googling Modern Art Oxford.

pentaxuser

Ian Grant · Mar 19, 2008

Thanks for that, I'm back in the UK at the weekend, for a month, and planning to go to Oxford, so will try and see it.

Ian

john shiell · Mar 20, 2008

Is this the same exhibition currently displayed in Edinburgh that I was hoping to get to? If so then Oxford is a lot nearer than Edinburgh. Is this a travelling exhibition and if it is does any memeber know the other venues?

leicaphile · Mar 20, 2008

info from website:http://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/Exhibitions/

ANSEL ADAMS
Photographs

2 APRIL TO 1 JUNE 2008

‘Ansel Adams discovered that the natural world is infinitely varied in aspect, constantly potential, evanescent; that its grand vistas and its microcosms are never twice the same; that the landscape is not only a place but an event’ John Szarkowski

An exhibition of more than seventy photographs, hand-printed and selected by the American photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams (1902–1984). Spanning a period of fifty years, from the 1920s to the 1970s, this timely exhibition includes Adams’ photographs of the magnificent landscapes for which he is most celebrated, from the soaring monoliths of Yosemite National Park to the lakes and mountains of Alaska.

Ansel Adams: Photographs is organised by Modern Art Oxford. All works are from the collection of Anne Adams Helms. The exhibition tours to the New Art Gallery, Walsall and Kunstmuseum, Bergen.

John Piper and Middle Galleries

garri · Mar 21, 2008

I was at the AA exhibit in Edinburgh earlier this week, it is on until 19 April so I shouldn't think its part of this one. It was, as expected, quite awesome, what with me being a huge AA fan.

There was a bredth of work dating back to the 1920's, printed by the man himself, usual suspects such as moonrise and some lovely plant and fence studies. 150 prints in total over 3 floors with prints ranging from 5x4 contacts to 20x24ish. I went up and down the stairs about half a dozen times, entry was a mere £4.

All in all a great day, if you get the chance make the trip, I am sure Oxford will be great too for those too far away to do Edinburgh.

Gari

Matt5791 · Mar 24, 2008

garri said:
I was at the AA exhibit in Edinburgh earlier this week, it is on until 19 April so I shouldn't think its part of this one. It was, as expected, quite awesome, what with me being a huge AA fan.

There was a bredth of work dating back to the 1920's, printed by the man himself, usual suspects such as moonrise and some lovely plant and fence studies. 150 prints in total over 3 floors with prints ranging from 5x4 contacts to 20x24ish. I went up and down the stairs about half a dozen times, entry was a mere £4.

All in all a great day, if you get the chance make the trip, I am sure Oxford will be great too for those too far away to do Edinburgh.

Gari

I'm off to see this one in Edinburgh tomorrow........

Martin Aislabie · Mar 27, 2008

Well found Pentaxuser
Admission is free - according to the web site
Not that it matters - I would hand over large handfuls of £5 notes to see the great mans work
This is a lot closer for me than Edinburgh
I wonder why it hasn't been advertised more - is it in the lastest B&W which should be out any day?
Martin

Peter Black · Mar 29, 2008

The Edinburgh one seems to be a setpiece exhibition that travels around from time to time, since the 2006 reference at http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/6aa/6aa170.htm seems to be the list of the prints on display in Edinburgh.

I was at the Edinburgh one today and it was well worth the time and effort to get there, but with one big issue. While I was expecting lighting levels to be reduced, I hadn't really counted on it being just as dim as it was. This was a problem for me when I came to compare photos in his books (sample copies open for perusal) and prints / posters for sale in the shop since they actually appeared quite different in the stronger light from the originals in the dim lighting. This was particularly noticeable in Canyon de Chelly (lead photo at the linked page above) with regard to the depth of the shadows and the dramatic lighting.

pentaxuser · Mar 29, 2008

Martin Aislabie said:
Well found Pentaxuser
Admission is free - according to the web site
Not that it matters - I would hand over large handfuls of £5 notes to see the great mans work
This is a lot closer for me than Edinburgh
I wonder why it hasn't been advertised more - is it in the lastest B&W which should be out any day?
Martin

I couldn't see anything on admission prices. Where did it say free? Better you than me handing over large handfuls of £5 notes if they charge and the lighting doesn't allow proper appreciation of the prints as has been noted. Didn't BobF mention this as well? Slightly worrying.

pentaxuser

jasonjoo · Mar 29, 2008

I was able to see this exhibition when it was in California. Man, had I known earlier, I would have made a second or even third trip. What a feast for your eyes!

Jason

Bob F. · Mar 29, 2008

pentaxuser said:
I couldn't see anything on admission prices. Where did it say free? Better you than me handing over large handfuls of £5 notes if they charge and the lighting doesn't allow proper appreciation of the prints as has been noted. Didn't BobF mention this as well? Slightly worrying.

pentaxuser

I found the light levels too low for comfort at the Haywood Gallery in London. I was hoping for better if I can get to Edinburgh but it sounds like I might be disappointed. Ho hum, I'll still go if it rains too hard to photograph tho

Cheers, Bob.

Peter Black · Mar 30, 2008

I should also have mentioned that the Edinburgh exhibition is a double-header with Lindsay Robertson http://www.lindsayrobertson.com/ whose photos were impressive in their own right. As well as "normal" sized prints, there was a selection of mural prints up to 8 feet x 4 feet, and all analogue in origin. In this instance, big really is beautiful!

Dave Miller · Mar 30, 2008

Bob F. said:
I found the light levels too low for comfort at the Haywood Gallery in London. I was hoping for better if I can get to Edinburgh but it sounds like I might be disappointed. Ho hum, I'll still go if it rains too hard to photograph tho

Cheers, Bob.

Exactly my beef too, stupidly low light levels, apparently to preserve the prints That advice from an attendant after I complained that I couldn't see the detail.

philldresser · Mar 30, 2008

Bob F. said:
I found the light levels too low for comfort at the Haywood Gallery in London. I was hoping for better if I can get to Edinburgh but it sounds like I might be disappointed. Ho hum, I'll still go if it rains too hard to photograph tho

Cheers, Bob.

I also saw this at the Hayward and was hugely dissapointed. The light levels were extremely low and the exhibits suffered from it massively.

If the Oxford one is better lit I might be tempted

Phill

Paul. · Mar 30, 2008

This poor lighting seems to be the hallmark of many exhibitions these days. On one occasion I went to the venues shop to buy a pen to register my disspleasure in the visitors book and this fron a salon that was supposedly proffesionaly hung. There is no point putting them on the wall if no one can see them, wonder what would be said if we took a torch?
Regards Paul.

pentaxuser · Mar 30, 2008

I thought the Lee Miller one in London was about OK. The lighting in the National Portrait Gallery and all the exhibitions I've seen in the National Film, TV and Photography Museum in Bradford have been superb but then again maybe the prints were regarded as highly as AA's.

pentaxuser

bwakel · Apr 27, 2008

I visited the Oxford exhibition a couple of weeks ago. The light levels were fine for me and entry is indeed free.

It's an excellent exhibition, having enjoyed the prints for their artistic merit I spent a lot of time taking in the technical aspects of Adams' burning and dodging which really are quite wonderful.

The range of prints gives a very varied introduction to his work and comparing the quality and depth of the full size images with the same images reproduced in two of the books available to buy from the gallery indicated that it's pointless buying the books as they simply don't reproduce the images in anything like their original form.

Well worth a visit. The cafe does decent grub too though the whole place was getting pretty busy by lunchtime on a Saturday.

Barry

hectorpaljr · May 4, 2008

Ansell exhibition

I saw the exhibition in Edinburgh . The lighting was dreadful. However the Lidsay Robertson prints were a joy to see.

Dave Miller · May 4, 2008

I read this thread earlier and realised that today was the only day we could visit, so we did; and Ive just got back from the 110 mile round trip.

My reaction: well Oxford is rather grubby, not at all like the image I gained from watching the Morse TV. series. It is also very car unfriendly, and cyclists think they own the pavements as well as the roads; but I only shouted at one of them, honest. It took about the same time to park as it did to drive the 55 miles there. So I wasnt in a good mood when I entered the gallery, a very hot and stuffy gallery I might add. Not good so far!

But the pictures; thats what we went for, and we werent disappointed. For starters we could see them, so didnt need the torch. All were of a respectable exhibition size, so easily viewed. Many were very familiar, a few not quite so, and a couple unknown to me. Surprisingly, a few were not printed very well and in my view should not have been hung, but somehow that brought the man down to the human level, so the organisers are forgiven. I suppose the curator is not there as judge, merely to ensure what they are given is hung properly, in that they are successful.

The event was very well attended with a couple of people in front of each photograph, and that I find very gratifying for the future of proper printing.
My simple test of the print/content quality of the pictures (do I want it on my wall) was met by about 80% of those displayed, not a bad hit rate.

See it if you can.

pentaxuser · May 4, 2008

Dave That'll do for me. I was probably going to visit anyway but another plus vote clinches it. Too late now but the Park and Ride scheme might have been worth a go. I'd recommend it to anyone else thinking of getting there by car. We used this last time and it avoided a lot of hassle. Oxford really doesn't want cars in the centre.

pentaxuser

UKJohn · May 4, 2008

Hi,

I think the Oxford and Edinburgh exhibitions are two different ones. The Edinburgh one is from the Eastman Collection (Kodak) whilst the Oxford one is from the Centre of Creative Photography in Tucson.

Also I understand that the Oxford one will be showing in Walsall from the end of June, I think for a month of so.

Yes, I found the lighting in Edinburgh particularly bad, I assume this is for conservation reasons, whilst the lighting on the Lidsay Robertson exhibition was perfect and the prints were a joy to behold.

John

Dave Miller · May 4, 2008

pentaxuser said:
Dave That'll do for me. I was probably going to visit anyway but another plus vote clinches it. Too late now but the Park and Ride scheme might have been worth a go. I'd recommend it to anyone else thinking of getting there by car. We used this last time and it avoided a lot of hassle. Oxford really doesn't want cars in the centre.

pentaxuser

With the time we had available the Park & Ride was not viable, however there is a shopping centre car park about 50 yards from the exhibition venue that we did use. Eventually! The problem is that its entrance is cunningly disguised as a building site, presumably because they heard I was coming and wanted to give the cyclists longer to run me down.

Bob F. · May 5, 2008

Friends of mine lived in Oxford for a while so I got to use their driveway mostly (until they had a daughter and added the obligatory 4x4 approximately the same size as Westminster Cathedral) but I tried the park-and-ride once. Never again. It took the bus about the same amount of time to reach the town centre as it did to drive there from West London (gawd, I forgot how much I HATE buses).

Thanks for the car-park tip Dave - I'll see if I can find it when I go. Your report on the lighting conditions clinched it for me to go (just putting down a marker so I can blame you if I don't like it... ).

Bob.

Dave Miller · May 5, 2008

Bob F. said:
Friends of mine lived in Oxford for a while so I got to use their driveway mostly (until they had a daughter and added the obligatory 4x4 approximately the same size as Westminster Cathedral) but I tried the park-and-ride once. Never again. It took the bus about the same amount of time to reach the town centre as it did to drive there from West London (gawd, I forgot how much I HATE buses).

Thanks for the car-park tip Dave - I'll see if I can find it when I go. Your report on the lighting conditions clinched it for me to go (just putting down a marker so I can blame you if I don't like it... ).

Bob.

I've broad sholders Bob, room for plenty of knives.

Mark Burley · May 12, 2008

Oxford venue and show

I got to see the exhibition on Friday. Lighting fine. Layout of the exhibition is cool too. Having now seen the originals, I now like some of the images rather more than before.

The bigger all time favourites lived up to my expectations easily. Some of the smaller prints are very fine too.

In short - it is free, find the car park to the South (just) near the shopping centre, once you've found it - its very expensive but very convenient.

Great show, will please any Ansel fan and more besides...

Mark

Ansel Adams Exhibition Oxford 2 Apr -1 Jun

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