Known primarily for his dramatic black and white vistas of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Adams was in fact a versatile photographer who made portraits of artist friends, close-up nature views, striking architectural and urban views, and documentary images. The exhibit is arranged chronologically and divided into several sections that include early works (mostly nature views of the mountains along the west coast), group f/64 (exploring the the more striking and straight technique), Yosemite, The American Southwest, Alfred Stieglitz and New York, the National Parks and Late Work.
This was a Thursday, so very fortunately we were not accompanied by any large crowds, but streams of people had never stopped, and I wonder how come that I had not discovered the gallery every time I come to visit the museum area. Ansel Adams offers new insight into the western iconic landscapes, Half Dome, Bridalveil waterfalls and etc, as if he is guiding me through the Yosemite park again. He writes very well, surprisingly in plain English what he attempts to do and how he uses the development techniques. My favorite is his early works reflecting the prevailing soft focus pictorialism, but you shouldn't take it that those are replicable via today's high-tech digital cameras, they were full of interpretations by Adams' usage of black and white, so sometimes he re-develops after some periods of time and they will be completely different in the eyes of the beholders. The more popular sharply focused wilderness views were beyond a photographer's artistic world, those were as I consider the more educated or influenced pieces of works. They are more reachable to the general public, very expressive and precise as if a standard message had been imprinted then penetrating the audience's hearts.
Annie Leibovitz's work is also on display. She is the photographer for the very modern celebrity, and many of the works can be found on Vogue, the Rolling Stones and Vanity Fair. Best known portraits of public figures, actors, politicians and family members, sometimes their own characters outspoke the talents of the photographer. An interesting observation is that a lot of the photos were poised with a bed or a lazy sofa where the characters loosely spread their bodies, arms and legs, and their eyes show a sense of helplessness or degradation of spirits as if they are drugged and cornered in a dangerous motel of some place. The beds all had white sheets, perplex enough.
Then had lunch in Old Ebbitt Grill, just off the corner from the white house, and of course, this is not your Maggiano or Cheesecake Factory chain, as a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these senior politicians, military heroes or famous statesmen come in and dine for lunch. The restaurant was very crowded on the Thursday, will not take walk-ins, of course. We made reservation and was led to a row of tables along the bar in the main atrium. Paintings on the top and side walls were biblical and historical. It is Washington's oldest saloon, founded in 1856.
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