Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984)
Adams is regarded as one of the most well-known photographers of the American wilderness, and a technical master. He captured elevated gradations of light, manipulated degrees of exposure, and constantly experimented with new techniques. He was pivotal in establishing the Department of photography at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and he was the founder of Group f/64, along with his contemporaries Imogen Cunningham and Edward Weston. The group was committed to what they called “pure” or “straight” photography, which embraced a direct and sharply focused aesthetic tied to the aesthetics of the American West. He also embraced conservation throughout his career. He received numerous awards and honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Hasselblad Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His photographs are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Amon Carter Museum of Art, Fort Worth; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., the L.A. County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, and countless others.
