Aspens, Northern New Mexico Possibly 1958 - 1980

Ansel Adams made this gelatin silver print of aspens in Northern New Mexico with a camera and darkroom. Light and shadow are the name of the game here, and it’s all about process: how to capture a fleeting moment, how to coax tones from grey, how to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Look how those aspens stand out! Adams creates this intense contrast so our eyes just pop onto those trees. The silvery bark and delicate dark marks stand out against the deep, dark forest behind. It’s like he’s playing with us, pushing and pulling our focus. Adams was obsessed with capturing the sublime in nature, like Barnett Newman was obsessed with capturing it in paint, and there's a similar spiritual quality. Like Agnes Martin, Adams reminds us that beauty can be found in repetition, and subtle variation.