I think there is a largely silent body of viewers who react to Adams’ work with much less enthusiasm, finding it often ugly, underwhelming, and a bit boring. …I found his images to be like parsnips or kale – things I was supposed to like, that were obviously good for me, but which in all honesty, I found somewhat less than entirely tasty. Over the years, and with a growing shelf full of Adams’ eloquent books in our library, I have gradually moved closer to the supporters point of view, slowly being won over by the consistent craftsmanship, elegance, thoughtfulness, and quiet beauty in even the most distressing and damaged of his photographs.
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Do you think that you could condescend long enough to tell us what Adams you refer to?
Hey Ann – click your mouse on the link to the article….
Much respect for the man, a big yawn to his pics. I’ve never liked landscape and nature photography, so its like asking a vegetarian if they like hanger steak.
Except that regardless of vegetarianism, even vegans agree that hanger steak tastes awesome – they only choose not to eat it.
Robert Adams’ work is subtle, but has a tendency to be subcutaneous. It is a feast for discovery. It’s his understatement in everything he does that makes it hard for some to grasp.
One of my favorites is the shot of a California house, and you can see through the house front window to back kitchen window. Framed by both windows you see the silhouette of a person. This is a great photographic moment.
I think it would have been great for Robert Adams to shoot color, just like Shore, Eggleston, and Meyerowitz. The mood of color would have been a great addition to the melancholic master of California imagery, Robert Adams.
Correction: that shot I was talking about was actually taken in Colorado. Adams not only photographed California, but also Colorado and Oregon.
I’ve always felt the same way about Vincent van Gogh. I feel that many people think that they should like his paintings. They are taught that he was one of the greats and it’s almost required to like his work.
Me, I never got. I never liked it and never will.
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