The Briscoe Western Art Museum will present work by one of America’s foremost photographers and chroniclers of the American West in its upcoming exhibition Ansel Adams: Distance and Detail, which will run from Sept. 16 through Dec. 15. Visitors will have the opportunity to view 29 works including well-known pieces like Moonrise over Hernandez alongside Adams’ lesser-known studies of architectural subjects, such as the Spanish Catholic Missions in Arizona.
The exhibition combines the distant views for which Adams is exalted as well as works showing close-up and personal interpretations of the photographer’s complete vision of the natural world.
These photographs, taken between 1931 and 1976, provide an in-depth look at the work of one of America’s best known modernists and folk heroes. This exhibition is provided by the Bank of America Art in Our Communities® program and is part of the FOTOSEPTIEMBRE USA International Photography Festival.
As an artist, environmentalist, and social activist, Ansel Adams’ life’s work established photography as a truly legitimate art form, inspiring new ways of seeing and communicating. Adams’ view of America, produced in more than half a century of imagery, invites viewers to reexamine the visible world, from the most intimate details in nature to the broadest of landscapes. His long career represents a prolific and rich contribution to American art including hundreds of images that continue to profoundly influence the practice of the art of photography to this day.
Ansel Adams: Distance and Detail will be on view during regular museum hours and is free with museum admission. Drop-in tours of the exhibition will be offered on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. You can find more details on the Briscoe’s website or by calling (210) 299-4499.
Top image: Dunes, Oceano, California, Portfolio Four: What Majestic Word, InMemory of Russell Varian (1940-63). Photo by Ansel Adams.
