The Natural Scene and the Social Good: The Artistic Education of Ansel Adams

Abstract

The American photographer Ansel Adams, whose life spanned a large part of the twentieth century (1902-1984), created a body of work that is probably as well known among the general public as that of any artist of this century. Posters, calenders, and coffee table books featuring his dramatic views of wilderness landscapes are ubiquitous. The popularity of his work has not only advanced the public recognition of photography as an art form, but has also been a powerful force in the environmental movement. This broad appeal is not the result of chance, but rather the consequence of a deliberate decision by Adams to address the widest public audience. Of course, many artists seek to reach a wide audience, but Adams's images of the natural world found a powerful resonance in American culture. This essay seeks to explain why he chose this direction in his art and to suggest why it was embraced so warmly by the American public. Adams's early career in photography, during the 1920s and early 1930s, was predominantly oriented toward a small audience made up of Sierra Club members and connoisseurs of fine art photography. However, during the 1930s and early 1940s, a significant change occurred in his attitude toward the application of his art. The social and artistic climate of