`On our adventurous trip through lower manhattan we visited many memorable exhibits. My favorite three are:
- Photographer: Ansel Adams: Classic Images, Robert Mann Gallery, 525 west 26th street
- What stood out most to me in this gallery was the beautiful variety in landscape photography.The exhibit consisted of a majority of Black and White nature shots with High contrast. My favorite image in the exhibit would have to be Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. The image itself consists of Several Visual Elements including the town of Hernandez, the almost pitch black like sky, the pastel clouds that spans across the image and then way in the back a small round moon. I believe the way the eye level photograph is divided into two halves, one half including the elements and the other half showing nothing but a dark sky makes this photograph appear a bit mysterious but adventurous. In the press release it mentions that Adams was an environmentalist even working with famous clubs such as The Sierra Club and The Wilderness society. Upon reading up on his interest in nature it became clear why his work revolves around portraying the outside world. He seeks to illuminate the beauty of nature by experimenting with lighting. I believe he favors images with a sharp focus, high contrast and a relatively good exposure. The direct lighting in his images is what creates the high contrast. When i look at his images i can’t help but to feel calm yet adventurous. The open land in most of his photographs evokes a message of going on a journey. If i didnt read the press release i couldn’t understand why this photographer had such an interest in landscape photography.
2.Sepia Eye, Rectangular Squares, 547 W. 27th Street, #608 (group exhibition)
This particular gallery consists of a variety of photographers/photographs sharing the theme of rectangular squares. This exhibit stood out to me because of the strong emphasis on geometry. These images were carefully framed and included borders. I believe this exhibit came off as very real, meaning it captured subjects doing everyday thing. Some portrayed all the geometry surrounding us. From people doing everyday tasks to the landscape photography that managed to capture everyday surroundings so elegantly, I believe this exhibit was successful. Most of these images manage to fill its rectangular frame giving a sense of fullness but yet containment because of the borders. If i did not read the press release I would not have known the reason behind their geometry based photography is that “The square, itself an ancient symbol of stability”.
3.The New York Times Magazine Photographs, Aperture Foundation,
547 West 27th Street, 4th fl.
This exhibit was also a group exhibit that I believe focused on capturing many different lifestyles. The importance in this exhibit was emotion. Whether the photo was evoking a message of power,sadness,happiness, etc it was done so beautifully. The images had a way of making you feel as if you were there with that person witnessing everything going on around them. I believe the photographers attempts were very clear in this exhibit without reading the press release. The lighting adjusted in each image whether it side light, back light or diffused lighting.
