Due to construction, the regular entrance was closed, so we had to go around the building. That detour gave us the chance to see the two baby heads, “Day” and “Night” by Antonio Lopez Garcia. Each head is about 8-feet tall and highly realistic. One of them has the eyes open, the other shut. You will see only one of them in the photo collection below.

Inside, we started with the Chihuly exhibit mainly because it was closest to the entrance. The exhibit seemed to occupy a larger area than the one he had in RISD Museum a few years ago but the style of the work was similar. Very organic and large pieces, plates, bowls, vases, and hanging or standing large structures. You will see what I mean when you look at the photographs. As interesting as they are, Chihuly’s style results in repetitive work; monumental but repetitive. But, still interesting to look at.

Then we saw the Alex Webb & Rebecca Norris Webb’s Violet Isle, photographs from Cuba. They were very dynamic, gorgeous photographs. Unfortunately, the museum did not allow picture-taking in these collections. So I provide you with a link where you can see their photographs. I remember seeing his other collection a while back, “Istanbul” with an essay by Orhan Pamuk, while you are on their Web site you may want to view both books.

After the Webb‘s exhibit we headed to the new restaurant in the huge atrium. We all seemed to have our eyes set on the same thing, Angus Hamburger. It was very tasty and the chips were a nice touch. After the meal Jan and I ordered coffee and before we had half of the cup, the fire alarm kicked in and they evacuated the whole building. We followed the crowd and stepped out to the front of the museum. After about 15-20 minutes they waved us in, apparently it was a false alarm.

Next on the list was the Bank of America Collection which included early photographs as well as more contemporary ones. Many of the photographs were familiar to me from the books and Sotheby’s auction catalogs, but seeing the originals was a thrill. There were several Outerbridge, Le Gray, Eggleston, and many others. I should get the exhibit catalog online since the bookstore was closed due to construction.

Finally, we made it to the Modernist Photography exhibit which featured Weston, Strand among others. Again, seeing the original work is a different experience compared to reproductions in books and catalogs no matter how well they are printed. It was a relatively small collection, so we finished it in reasonable time and headed back to the parking lot.

After a long wait at the exit due to gate equipment malfunctioning, we headed back home. A very pleasant day, albeit a bit tiring but well worth it.

Here are some photographs from the day:

Her latest book focuses on Patagonia and you will find in her portfolio a very tightly grouped photographs of Patagonia among other places. You will see photographs where the mountain peaks are touched by the peaks of lupines, or other juxtapositions of delicate and robust elements in wonderful color. She also writes essays, and I would like to comment on one of her writings, On the Color Landscape, in a complementary way. She questions, and rightly so, the lack of respect given to color landscape photography as a form of art. In her essay, Linde makes very good points about the ability of B&W to add a layer of abstraction and color drawing the viewer to the “literal” rendering of the subject. It makes a good reading, take a look at that. I would like to add the following to her observations that may (or may not) help make a case for color landscape photograph as a serious form of art, when done right of course.

Flood of Photographs

As I read the essay on color landscapes not being appreciated, I remembered Paul Strand who claimed “color is vulgar.” Of course in his time it probably was, but still remains a seductive element that can blur the distinction between “pretty” and “beautiful.” With the advent of digital photography and the wonderful technology it provides, many landscape photographs flooded the consciousness of the public with technically proficient photographs in glowing color, sometimes over the top. Although a connoisseur can filter techno-junk from color-art, for the masses this distinction is far more difficult which contributes to under-appreciation of some color landscape art.

Difficulty of color

Color is also difficult to understand and appreciate at a “non-literal” level. Some photographers, well-known ones I mean, calling themselves “colorists” added to the confusion by chasing colorful elements to photograph rather than accepting color as an existential element of life. Now, if the work of the “colorist” is art, others are easier to bundle with techno-junk.

Second-rate painting?

Photographers themselves are at some fault for accepting, even aspiring to, painting as the higher form of art, and being flattered when someone comments “your photographs look like paintings.” If painting is art, and photography a second-class artisanship, much of what it produced cannot be art, color landscape included. B&W landscape escapes this trap by virtue of the fact that most “painting” is in color.

Understanding, accepting, using the medium’s qualities

An elusive, slippery, deceiving, misunderstood, natural but yet not natural, concept color is, it defies to be pigeon-holed into narrow spaces. It is up to the photographer, photographic artist to stick to her/his guns when defining his/her art in terms of the medium used and within the qualities and limitations of it. I believe the simplicity of the photographic technology, allure of color, and admiration of nature creates much “art-noise” that makes it difficult for photographers to create a strong signal-to-noise ratio to rise above this techno-junk. With persistence, however, those photographers who understand, appreciate, and use wisely their medium to produce “photographs” that can stand on their own, without the crutches of second-class paintings will rise above the “art-noise” and be recognized.

Linde, thank you for sharing your work and stimulating my interest to respond to your photography as well as to your writing. I also appreciate the freely available PDF photo books, all seven of them. I have looked at a few quickly and will go back and study them in greater detail. Congratulations on your latest book and the message it carries.

This dialog makes me want to publish a seminar presentation I made several years ago on “Challenges of Color Photography” at Providence College. Let me find my notes and presentation material …

Great Salt Lake – Folio 5 | The Halophiles Collection

Great Salt Lake – Folio 7 | The Borders & Boundaries Collection

Great Salt Lake – Folio 2 | The Found Patterns Collection