Ansel Adams Transcendentalism

Throughout history, people encounter a stage in their lives where they feel the necessity to assert their independence and challenge their abilities and self-worth. In the book, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, the author shares his understanding and kinship with the main character, Chris McCandless, a young man who thrusts himself into a life of solitude and a harsh environment during his search for meaning to his life. Krakauer depicts himself and McCandless as modern day transcendentalists with an abundance of competency, resourcefulness and skills as naturalists. Although McCandless chose to experience a life of solitude and face the hazards that nature presents, his lack of preparedness prevented him from completing his endeavor successfully.

“Transcendentalism […] has primarily much the position of the sun […] We are conscious of it as of a kind of splendid confusion […] But the circle of the moon is as clear and unmistakable, as recurrent and inevitable, as the circle of Euclid on a blackboard” (Chesterton, 24). These words encapsulate the driving rationale of the anti-transcendentalist argument – that although individuals seek transcendentalism, they can never truly realize it, or, to compare with the sun, see it. Rather, they inevitably place attention on the “moon,” the perspicuous reflection of transcendentalism – that is, individualism – and neglect the responsibilities of society. Emerson institutes the philosophy of transcendentalism in his essay, Nature, teaching that divinity pervades all nature and humanity. Although transcendentalists would offer that man can only better his spiritual life by embracing individualism, pursuing the ideal, and being one with nature, the ability and appeal of transcendentalism to advance enlightenment upon the soul of the individual rests on the false suppositions that feckless man can achieve perfection and that nature embodies God, thus causing transcendentalism to conversely detriment the spiritual life of the individual, isolating him, prescribing his rebellion, and invigorating his selfish pursuits, simply because he confides his soul in creation instead of the Creator (Tocqueville, 482).

Krakauer himself agrees with such claim. Before he even begins to tell the tale of Chris McCandless, Krakauer speaks directly of McCandless transcendance. In the authors note Krakauer writes that McCandless “invented a new life for himself...wandering across North America in search of raw, transcendent experience” (Krakauer Author’s Note). To deny such a direct assessment from someone who shares so many sympathies with McCandless, is ludicrous. Krakauer also compares Mccandless to transcendentalist monks on several occasions. From the description of Chris’s “monkish room furnished with little more than a thin mattress on the floor, milk crates, and a table”( Krakauer 22), to stating that he is “as chaste as a monk” (65). Krakauer even goes

I went to the Spectrum art gallery to go observe the photography. The art gallery displayed the work of two photographers, Jonathan Rollins and Patrick W. Rhames. Jonathan Rollins photography’s theme was eclectic perspective. His photography was both in color and in black and white. Rollins work was also more based on nature, unlike Rhames’ photography. In his photography there were a lot of pictures of National Parks such as, Yellowstone and Yosemite. On the other hand, Patrick W. Rhames photography’s theme was Wandering in Archival Pigment. Rhames. Rhames photography was also in color and in black and white. Although Rhames Photography was also done outdoors, he focused more on objects than nature. For example, he focused on light houses,

Adams love for photography is a curious combination of the interest of both his parents, Charles Hitchcock Adams and Olive Bray Adams. Charles Adams started to study astronomy at the University of California in Berkeley yet was unable to finish because of problems in his family’s business. He often shared his love for astronomy and science with Ansel; together they shared an interest for stargazing. Olive Adams played the piano frequently when home schooling Ansel at a young age. He learned to love piano and almost continued on a

Born in Melbourne, Australia, self-taught photographer, Peter Lik has been shooting expansive scenes of Mother Nature his whole life. In the late 90´s he took a massive project known as “Spirit of America”. After 50 thousand miles and 1,000 rolls of film, peter had revealed landscapes from all 50 United States.

Nature pre-dominates George Inness painting, with a transcendent background and a more pastoral foreground. The distant mountains seem to be shrouded in a smoky haze, not forgetting the remnants of wild nature in between. It brings a human touch on the landscape.

“Ansel Adams was one of the great photographers of this century. He was one of the best loved spokesmen for the obligations we owe to the natural world,” said John Szarkowski, director emeritus of the Department of Photography, Museum of Modern Art (USA Today Magazine, 66). Indeed, Adams dual role of photographer and environmentalist were unique yet intertwined and created a lasting impact on the world.

As photographer Jackson recalled, "No photographs had as yet been published, and Dr. Hayden was determined that the first ones should be good. A series of fine pictures would not only supplement his final report but tell the story to thousands who might never read it" (1940, p. 196). Jackson's photographs and Moran's watercolors and illustrations were instrumental in the successful lobbying effort to get Congress to designate Yellowstone the country's first national park. More significantly, I contend that the landscape art of Watkins, Jackson, and Moran are not merely evidence in a conventional political argument. They are not simply representing reality or making an argument about

Ansel Adams the environmentalist and photographer was born on February 20, 1902 in San Francisco, California. His father and mother were Charles Hitchcock Adams and Olive Bray. They lived right outside the Golden Gate. When Ansel was a young boy he was thrown into a wall by an earthquake. After the earthquake, his nose was bent out of place and would forever stay the same. Most of his childhood he would spend most of his time wondering around the Golden Gate in search of nature and when he came home he would have to listen to his mother fretting over Adams inability to keep the family fortune. But his father would be encouraging and supportive of Ansel. Both his parents left a big mark on him. Ansel was suspended from three schools because

Thomas Cole (1801-1848) lived a remarkably short life; however, his influence as an American landscape painter gives him his renown as an artist. His art is recognized as possessing all the attributes of Romanticism. Cole’s father owned a wallpaper business, but his disinterest in this field drove him, after receiving elementary art lessons, to travel to Ohio and Pennsylvania. Paintings displayed at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts kindled inspiration, and his pursuit in art continued. In 1825, he visited New York City where he painted genuinely sublime landscapes along the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains, broadening his fame as a landscape painter. (Avery) Worthy of attention concerning Cole are the Hudson River School of Romantic Landscapes he founded, how the Hudson River School’s art was Romantic, why landscapes are an American national symbol, and about one of Cole’s famous paintings The Oxbow.

Ansel Adams was one of the most important photographers of century XX. Recognized for its beautiful landscape photographs in black and white; Adams had a unique style to take photos and techniques of revealed. He took many photographs of strong contrast of light and shadow, bare mountains, giant trees and huge clouds, many of these photos represent highlights in the history of this art form. Adams like many geniuses artistic was marked with Mother Nature at an early age, to see and enjoy its beauty, its delicacy, its simplicity; from that specific moment he knew that photography will be his live and profession. Adams was an expert in the control of the photographic exhibition. His knowledge was so profound that led him to develop his

TXT- Adam’s work is usually about breathtaking images of landscapes that are visually in touch with nature because of the scale of his figures depicts the specific powerful quality. Page 199

The space, color and lines are the principal elements that make up Adams’s photography. One of the most pronounced characteristics of this photograph is its light silver tonality. This aspect primarily suggest that this photography was taken in a period of time in which Color print for photographs was not available or limited, it can also inform people on the weather condition of the place in which this picture was taken, as cold weathers are often associated with light colors. In regards of space, many trees are to be considered the positive space of the photograph, as it is the most prominent characteristic of the photograph itself. The snow, the mountains and the sky are to be considered negative space as those elements are all that surround

He was much famous for his Landscape photographs on calendars, posters and books, etc. Ansel Adams was a part of new way of photography that was coming along in 19th century to forcing itself from pictoriolism. He was in the group of photographers whose sole purpose was to try to get photography as an art form. So, by doing this they were browning techniques of paintings and fine arts, incorporating into photography, everything from composition to the actual printing techniques. I am very influenced by Ansel as what he did for photography as an art and craft. He provides that benchmark what you want to strive to do with photography and control you want to have over it, which proves what you doing photographer as an