Frozen Lake and Cliffs, Sierra Nevada, California
Artist
Ansel Adams
(American, 1902-1984)
CultureAmerican
Date1932
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsOverall, Image: 14 3/8 × 18 5/8 in. (36.5 × 47.3 cm)
Overall, Support: 22 1/16 × 28 1/8 in. (56 × 71.4 cm)
Overall, Mat: 24 × 30 in. (61 × 76.2 cm)
Overall, Support: 22 1/16 × 28 1/8 in. (56 × 71.4 cm)
Overall, Mat: 24 × 30 in. (61 × 76.2 cm)
Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. T. Lane Stokes
Object number81.190.3
On View
Not on viewLabel TextAnsel Adams American, 1902–1984 Frozen Lake and Cliffs, Sierra Nevada, California, 1932 Gelatin silver print, ca. 1980 Adams made this striking photograph the same year he exhibited with a group of likeminded photographers called Group f/64. In opposition to the softly romantic photographs then in vogue, these artists focused on clean lines, dynamic compositions, dramatic contrasts, and what Adams called “the simple dignity of the glossy print.” Yet even though Adams championed “pure photographic expression,” he did not believe photography was a mere record. For instance, when others called this photograph “abstract,” he said “I prefer the term extract for I cannot change the optical realities, but only manage them in relation to themselves and the format.” Gift of Dr. and Mrs. T. Lane Stokes 81.190.3 Exhibition History"Ansel Adams Photography," Kaufman Theatre Lobby, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA., May 23 - September 7, 2008. "Photographic Histories," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, May 10 - August 17, 2014. "From Ansel Adams to Infinity," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, September 21, 2018 - January 27, 2019.
