add to our listings
On view Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5 pm
The landscape of the American West has long been a subject for photographers. The advent of photography in the mid-nineteenth century and the development of easier methods of photographic reproduction corresponded with the western expansion of the nation. Photographic documentation augmented the reports issued as part of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories and photography was capturing the wondrous archaeological discoveries being made, as well as capturing the vestiges of American Indian culture. Civic boosters, hotel resorts, and railway lines were using photography in promotional material to woo visitors to the western states.
The post-World War II American West was a very different place. As the public claimed what was once open space for development, the wilderness that characterized the West became increasingly scarce and therefore more precious. Remaining wilderness areas, such as the National Parks, provided photographic inspiration for photographers beyond the mere documentary, ornamental, or promotional. Images of the West became, in addition, a vehicle for personal expression, whether it was the awe-inspiring grandeur revealed by Ansel Adams, the bittersweet nostalgia expressed by Wright Morris, or the ubiquitous, scarring hand of man found in the work of Robert Adams.
-clarkart.edu
Write a Review