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excellent I'll watch later
Robert Adams
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Because of this thread, I bought and began reading Why People Photograph and have to say I'm blown away by his simple and elegant writing style, his wit, perception, and most of all, his heart. The book could be used in a class with Strunk and White. He actually reminds me of Norman Maclean. There's a certain kind of "middle voice"--a way of writing about others, yet reflecting himself, and drawing the reader to both. He could have been a major essayist. Thanks to you all for educating me on this remarkable intellectual and artist.
Robert Adams is truly eloquent. He has a PhD in English Literature and turned to photography after teaching college English for a short time.
Thanks for this! It makes sense. There are so many other great photographers who could have had distinguished careers in other areas. Ansel Adams in classical music and Eliot Porter in medicine spring to mind quickly.
Thank you so much for your recommendation of Barry Lopez's Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World. It is fantastic and I'm only a third of the way through. I'll be reading more from him and I'm now wondering how I hadn't heard of this brilliant author before. I especially appreciate his unflinching analysis of indigenous people of America (and what happened to them) which strikes closely to a photo project I'm working on.
To return the favor, although this slim volume has nothing to do with photography and everything to do with America, I'll recommend Layli Long Soldier's Whereas. If you liked Lopez's Out West essay, Whereas will resonate even if poetry is not your thing.
Layli Long Soldier — The Freedom of Real Apologies
The poet, and citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Opening up this part of her life, and of American life, to inspire self-searching and tenderness.
onbeing.org
OP
OP
Thank you so much for your recommendation of Barry Lopez's Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World. It is fantastic and I'm only a third of the way through. I'll be reading more from him and I'm now wondering how I hadn't heard of this brilliant author before. I especially appreciate his unflinching analysis of indigenous people of America (and what happened to them) which strikes closely to a photo project I'm working on.
To return the favor, although this slim volume has nothing to do with photography and everything to do with America, I'll recommend Layli Long Soldier's Whereas. If you liked Lopez's Out West essay, Whereas will resonate even if poetry is not your thing.
Layli Long Soldier — The Freedom of Real Apologies
The poet, and citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Opening up this part of her life, and of American life, to inspire self-searching and tenderness.
The Layli Long Soldier book looks amazing. Ordered it as soon as I read the description. Thanks for this.
I'm also making my way slowly through Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World. The writing is fluid but it's also unbelievably rich, especially in his thoughts about landscape and place, what's our relationship to them and how we belong. There are pages on which I almost have more notes than there are printed words!
A good description of much that I see these days in black and white. Of course, I feel that way about some (not all, love many) of the "classic" Ansel Adams prints. (Robert Adams doesn't shout). (Sorry about getting off topic...).
I had a chance to walk American Silence at the National Gallery of Art over the weekend, and it was superb. If you're near DC this is a good chance to see 175 of Adams's prints. There are silver gelatin, photogravure, and I don't know what else. The show builds more or less chronologically but the galleries are organized into three broad sections - The Gift, Our Response, and Tenancy.
Adams often prints small, say 6x6", so some of the prints in the show are smaller on the gallery wall than they are in the books that contain them. It's a wholly different experience. The show is in seven galleries so there is ample space to take in the work. There is plenty of text on the walls giving context to the work, so I'd allow two hours to get through it.
Adams often prints small, say 6x6", so some of the prints in the show are smaller on the gallery wall than they are in the books that contain them. It's a wholly different experience. The show is in seven galleries so there is ample space to take in the work. There is plenty of text on the walls giving context to the work, so I'd allow two hours to get through it.
Thanks for the photos. Unfortunately, that's probably as close as I'm going to get to this show, unless it travels to the SF Bay Area at some point.
I was fortunate enough to see many Adams prints in person at "The Grain of the Present" at Pier 24 Photography a few years ago (three times!), so I've at least had some in-person experience with Adams' work.
I was fortunate enough to see many Adams prints in person at "The Grain of the Present" at Pier 24 Photography a few years ago (three times!), so I've at least had some in-person experience with Adams' work.
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yes, whether or not the interviewee is a "great thinker."
This week Tyler Green and Robert Adams have offered another hour of conversation, on the occasion of American Silence.
manpodcast.com
No. 555: Robert Adams
Episode No. 555 of The Modern Art Notes Podcast features artist Robert Adams. The National Gallery of Art, Washington, is presenting “American Silence: The Photographs of Robert Adams” …
manpodcast.com
This week Tyler Green and Robert Adams have offered another hour of conversation, on the occasion of American Silence.
No. 555: Robert Adams
Episode No. 555 of The Modern Art Notes Podcast features artist Robert Adams. The National Gallery of Art, Washington, is presenting “American Silence: The Photographs of Robert Adams” …
Thanks! Looking forward to listening to it.
This week Tyler Green and Robert Adams have offered another hour of conversation, on the occasion of American Silence.
No. 555: Robert Adams
Episode No. 555 of The Modern Art Notes Podcast features artist Robert Adams. The National Gallery of Art, Washington, is presenting “American Silence: The Photographs of Robert Adams” …
Cool! Thanks for the heads up!
OP
OP
Review of the National Gallery's Adams exhibition in The New York Times
www.nytimes.com
I'm desperately trying to find a way to go and see it before it ends in October.
Sunlit Apocalypse: The Imperiled World of Robert Adams (Published 2022)
In a magisterial survey at the National Gallery of Art, the photographer discerns poetry even in degraded Western landscapes.
I'm desperately trying to find a way to go and see it before it ends in October.
Review of the National Gallery's Adams exhibition in The New York Times
Sunlit Apocalypse: The Imperiled World of Robert Adams (Published 2022)
In a magisterial survey at the National Gallery of Art, the photographer discerns poetry even in degraded Western landscapes.
I'm desperately trying to find a way to go and see it before it ends in October.
Darn, I'm stuck at the NYT pay wall
OP
OP
"No place is boring if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film."
I think I've found my favorite Robert Adams quote
.
Good too, and typically Robertadamsian, is his answer to the question "What is art?":
"Basically, it's an attempt, by fond attention to the world, to find redeeming metaphor in it. Ultimately art's gift to us is the pleasurable implication of coherence, of meaning, of consequence."
Both quotes are from one of the interviews/conversations transcribed in Along Some Rivers, an interesting albeit puzzling little book.
I think I've found my favorite Robert Adams quote
. Good too, and typically Robertadamsian, is his answer to the question "What is art?":
"Basically, it's an attempt, by fond attention to the world, to find redeeming metaphor in it. Ultimately art's gift to us is the pleasurable implication of coherence, of meaning, of consequence."
Both quotes are from one of the interviews/conversations transcribed in Along Some Rivers, an interesting albeit puzzling little book.
If anyone is on the fence about purchasing 'American Silence', Aperture is currently offering it at 40% off - that's $39, which is even less than Amazon's current price. Of course I did decide to buy it a couple of months ago and paid the full $65, but whatever 
aperture.org
American Silence: The Photographs of Robert Adams | Aperture
For fifty years, Robert Adams has made compelling, provocative, and highly influential photographs that show us the wonder and fragility of the American landscape, its inherent beauty, and the inadequacy of our response to it.
aperture.org
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2004
- Messages
- 503
@bags27, there's no "could have been"about it. Robert Adams is indeed a major essayist.
Although his photographs rightly take precedence, his writing is superb. I've been enjoying both for a long time (I saw the New Topographics show at the George Eastman house in 1975, when I was a college student).
Although his photographs rightly take precedence, his writing is superb. I've been enjoying both for a long time (I saw the New Topographics show at the George Eastman house in 1975, when I was a college student).
I find it ironic that I and he were in Colorado taking the same type of pictures around the same time. This style of work has been a mainstay in my photographic journey.
An interesting comparison of Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe's work. (I confess that I didn't know O'Keeffe had an interest in photography.)
www.newyorker.com
The Photographic Search for True West
In two new shows, Robert Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe take different approaches to a land of loss.
An interesting comparison of Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe's work. (I confess that I didn't know O'Keeffe had an interest in photography.)
The Photographic Search for True West
In two new shows, Robert Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe take different approaches to a land of loss.
Her husband sort of did. And when he took her photo, it was often after they, well....
I was lucky enough to be able to go to both shows. Adams is, well, Adams. And quite overwhelming. You really feel the light and the environment. The O'Keeffe show was much smaller and a good portion of the photos were taken by her friend Todd Webb. O'Keeffe's photos seemed to me to be more about composition, light, shadow and texture. The Denver museum also had a fantastic show of women photographers--a really wonderful exhibit.An interesting comparison of Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe's work. (I confess that I didn't know O'Keeffe had an interest in photography.)
The Photographic Search for True West
In two new shows, Robert Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe take different approaches to a land of loss.
An interesting comparison of Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe's work. (I confess that I didn't know O'Keeffe had an interest in photography.)
The Photographic Search for True West
In two new shows, Robert Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe take different approaches to a land of loss.
Thank you. I did not know about Adams' [punctuated correctly, not like in The New Yorker, shame on them and their editor!] “The New West” and “What We Bought.” I had never seen that side of him. Also the observations about where Georgia lived in New Mexico were unknown to me.
Sorry, but both Adams' and Adams's are equally correct usage. You'll find editors who accept one or the other. And The New Yorker has its own style sheet. For example, just try to find the title of a book italicized in its hard copy edition. If you google for it, I don't think you'll find their style sheet. Aspiring editors have tried to codify it, but it's an in-house secret, I think. That's entirely cool with me. Grammar and syntax should be generative, not fossilized, IMHO.
IMNSHO I disagree about using "xxxs's" when "xxxs'" is perfectly correct and one keystroke less.
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