Seven distinguished American photographers’ work is on display at the Eric Dean Gallery in the Wabash College Fine Arts Center. 20th Century American Photographers in the Capital Group Foundation Collection began an eight-week run on Jan. 24, featuring the works of Ansel Adams, Edward Curtis, John Gutmann, Helen Levitt, Wright Morris, Gordon Parks, and Edward Weston. The photographers featured are recognized with creating some of the most iconic photographic images of the last century.
‘This work have never before been exhibited together in one place,’ said Bryan Lewis, chair of the Capital Group Foundation. ‘Kevin encouraged us to think about showing these artists together, and this idea was the catalyst for the exhibit on display. It is because of his generosity that we are able to send these photographs to Crawfordsville.’
The exhibit highlights more than 80 quintessential images of America, from landscapes to urban scenes, and is made possible through the generous support of Wabash Trustee Kevin G. Clifford ’77 (right), President and CEO, American Funds Distributors, Inc.
‘My father introduced me to the photographers who inspired him, and I remember loving the work of Ansel Adams from a very early age,’ said President Gregory Hess during his opening remarks. ‘When we were kids we visited Yosemite National Park, and when I gazed out at the stunning vistas, I tried to see sites like Half Dome the way Ansel Adams did when he captured it in his ‘Monolith’ photograph, which headlines this exhibit.’
Hess took the opportunity to thank Kevin Clifford ’77 for making the work available for the Wabash and Crawfordsville community, ‘Kevin made this extraordinary exhibition possible and we are indebted to him for allowing us to share the Capital Group Foundation’s stunning collection of 20th Century American Photographers. Never before has the Capital Group shared such an expansive collection of photographs — 91 in total from seven different artists. Kevin, on behalf of a grateful Wabash College community, I thank you.’
‘At Wabash College, we call our students to think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively, and live humanely. The photographers whose work proudly hangs in our galleries this evening use all of these abilities in the creation of their art. These artists and their work provide our students an immersion in the liberal arts, which we hope will not only change the way they see the world, but the ways in which they act in this world,’ said President Gregory Hess.
Professor Doug Calisch, Art Department Chair also welcomed the crowd in the packed gallery and commented on the momentous occasion it is for the College to have this exhibition in place, ‘Standing here in this room is a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To be surrounded by the work of 7 (and it could be argued THE 7) significant American Photographers of the 20th Century is truly a remarkable occasion. Our entire community, and particularly American History, English, Philosophy, the Malcolm X institute, EQ, Rhetoric, Art, Physics, Chemistry, and Psychology will have the opportunity to contemplate the value, purpose, meaning, and techniques associated with these iconographic photographs. A show like this helps us consider the powerful role of the photographic image in the 20th century-as art, as literature, and as commentary.’
‘The exhibition features seven significant American photographers, encompassing themes of portraiture, landscape, nature and documentary photography, and provides unprecedented access to iconic images of our cultural heritage,’ said Laura Conners, director of the Eric Dean Gallery.
Art Professor Doug Calisch concluded the opening remarks inviting the crowd to visit and revisit the gallery exploring the art from many angles. ‘Do we understand these photographs in a different way because they were created in a world before photoshop? Do these images tickle at some kind of objective reality or do we see these images as visual poetry. Did Ansel Adams record natural beauty or help define what we think of as beautiful? Were Gordon Parks’ photographs simply portrayals of Black America or did these powerful images become agents for progress and social change? And, did Helen Levitt innocently happen upon these urban street scenes or do her photographs illuminate the patterns and tendencies of our human condition? Over the next several weeks our community will have a rare opportunity to observe and question the power and influences of these images.’
The exhibit is free and open to the public. The Eric Dean Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Hours on the final day of the exhibit – Saturday, March 22 – are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
The work of seven distinguished American photographers is on display at the Eric Dean Gallery in the Wabash College Fine Arts Center.
“20th Century American Photographers in the Capital Group Foundation Collection” began an eight-week run on Jan. 24, featuring the works of Ansel Adams, Edward Curtis, John Gutmann, Helen Levitt, Wright Morris, Gordon Parks, and Edward Weston. The seven photographers featured are credited with creating some of the most iconic photographic images of the last century.
“The Capital Group Foundation collaborated with members of the College’s art department to arrange this exhibition of its collection,” said Doug Calisch, Wabash College art department chair. “Featuring the work of seven distinguished American photographers whose images can be studied through a variety of lenses – cultural, historical, visual, humanitarian, and environmental – this collection underscores the mission of the gallery to promote understanding and enthusiasm for contemporary art by enriching the Wabash curriculum and challenging our ideas about the creative process.”
The exhibit highlights more than 80 quintessential images of America, from landscapes to urban scenes, and is made possible through the generous support of Wabash Trustee Kevin G. Clifford ’77, President and CEO, American Funds Distributors, Inc.
“This work has never before been exhibited together in one place,” said Bryan Lewis, chair of the Capital Group Foundation. “Kevin encouraged us to think about showing these artists together, and this idea was the catalyst for the exhibit on display. It is because of his generosity that we are able to send these photographs to Crawfordsville.”
Adams (1902-1984) captured the iconic landscapes of the American West with unparalleled technical genius. Drawn to the pristine beauty of Yosemite National Park after a family vacation in 1916, Adams returned every year of his life as the park became the focus of his two passions: photography and environmentalism.
Curtis (1868-1952) documented the traditions and histories of Native Americans that were rapidly disappearing by the beginning of the 20th century. He took more than 40,000 photographs of more than 80 tribes and all of Curtis’ portraits and scenes are sensitively rendered, with remarkable detail of dress and landscape.
Gutmann (1905-1998) created representations of American culture taken from the perspective of an outsider. His use of the Rolleiflex, positioned at his waist, enabled him to distort his subjects. The exotic character of this method was distinctly different from the romanticized, highly aesthetic considerations of the quintessentially American photographers.
Levitt (1913-2009) photographed the streets of her native New York City, particularly the poor neighborhoods of Spanish Harlem and the Lower East Side. Her frank, lively photographs capture the people of these neighborhoods going about their daily lives, forever caught in an instant, revealing the theater of everyday life with charm and humor.
Morris (1910-1998) distinguished himself as both a writer and photographer, linking both forms of expression. The primary aim of his work was not to strictly document, but to preserve a sense of history and place. His travels spurred Morris to create books, or “phototexts,” in which images and written words presented a composite view of his subjects.
Parks (1912-2006) is best known for his documentation of the social upheavals in America, particularly of the African-American experience during and after World War II. A self-taught photographer, Parks was the first African-American man to work on the staff of Vogue in 1944 and Life in 1948, and his documentation of the civil rights movement produced iconic images with the chaos and energy of the times.
Weston (1886-1958) began taking photographs at the age of 16 when his father gave him a simple Kodak Bulls-eye camera. To him, the camera alone had the power to capture its subject in all its beauty. In later years, Weston embarked on the monumental Project Prints series, of which the photographs on exhibition here are a part.
“The exhibition features seven significant American photographers, encompassing themes of portraiture, landscape, nature and documentary photography, and provides unprecedented access to iconic images of our cultural heritage,” said Laura Conners, director of the Eric Dean Gallery.
The exhibit is free and open to the public. The Eric Dean Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Hours on the final day of the exhibit – Saturday, March 22 – are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.