In Two Exhibitions, Work by 20th Century Photography Masters

Photographs from the Neuberger Museum of Art’s Permanent Collection, by some of the greatest 20th century photographers who transformed photography into an art form, will be featured in two exhibitions opening at the Museum on January 31, 2016.

Pursuit of Clarity: Ansel Adams, Willard Van Dyke, Edward Weston & the Straight Photography Movement examines the work of three lifelong friends, Ansel Adams, Willard Van Dyke and Edward Weston who, throughout their careers, sought to promote photography as a fine art. In 1932, their efforts converged with the founding of the collective Group f.64. Named after the smallest aperture setting on a large format camera, which could be used to produce photographs with foreground and background in sharp focus, members of this West Coast collective used their technical mastery of the camera to shed new light on the human body and on nature – particularly flowers, vegetables, and landscapes of the American West. Straight Photography, as the style was called, provided unconventional close-up views, bordering on abstraction, to capture the exact features of the subject and the emotional experience of form. “These photographers helped popularize a style and technique that was methodical and skillfully executed—one that could carefully consider the visual properties of a variety of subjects,” writes Karolina Hac, exhibition curator and a Neuberger Curatorial Fellow and graduate student in the Purchase College MA Program in Art History, Criticism, and Theory. While most of the Group f.64 photographers lived in California, many others in the movement traveled extensively in order to capture both vast landscapes and close-up shots of terrains. “The artists experimented with the wide range of technical possibilities of the camera with hopes of bolstering the artistic role of the photographer, and transforming the medium of photography into an art form,” Hac points out.

The Instant as Image explores the camera’s unique ability to capture movement. Centered around Barbara Morgan’s exuberant images of Martha Graham and her dancers performing for the camera and Larry Fink’s photographs of partying socialites and rural folk, this exhibition features twelve other artists working in documentary, street, and snapshot style, depicting motion as an expressive device rooted in the real world. Included are: Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Harry Callahan Larry Clark, Elliott Erwitt, Lee Friedlander, André Kertész, Danny Lyon, Mary Ellen Mark, Hans Namuth, Nicholas Nixon, Edward Steichen, and Andy Warhol. Morgan sought that crucial moment in dance when rhythm and form merged. Fink exposed his subjects’ fragility and vanity as he depicted visceral and human moments in the world of artifice.

“Their work both bears witness and conveys the beauty of capturing a moment in time,” notes Chelsea Spengemann, curator, who also points out that chance plays a crucial role.

“In popular uses of the medium such as photojournalism and snapshot photography, the chance capture is expected and celebrated, so artists have adopted this as a pictorial strategy to profound effect.” Interest in representing movement through photography began as early as 1850, but reached a turning point in the 1930s with the invention of 35-millimeter roll film for hand-held cameras. The exhibition features photographs made from 1916-1983, using a range of technique and depicting mostly figurative subject matter.

Both exhibitions are on view in the Museum’s second-floor gallery, in space traditionally reserved for a selection of the paintings and sculpture that comprise the Roy R. Neuberger collection, part of which is now on its first national tour. Neuberger built one of the greatest private collections of contemporary American art in the world, mainly between the early 1940s and the 1960s. And while his focus as a collector of American art did not include photography, the Neuberger Museum nonetheless acquired an extensive collection of Modern photography that reflects that history, developed by art institutions first to embrace the medium as art.

The Instant as Image and Pursuit of Clarity: Ansel Adams, Willard Van Dyke, Edward Weston & the Straight Photography Movement are made possible by the Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art and Purchase College Foundation.

The Neuberger Museum of Art will present the following programs in conjunction with both exhibitions:

Adults

Wednesday, February 24, 2015, 6 – 8 pm

From Darkroom to Daylight: Film Screening and Book Signing

Join photographer, author, and filmmaker Harvey Wang for a screening of his new documentary film From Darkroom to Daylight. In this project, Wang explores the shift in photographic technology from analog film to digital practices. Through interviews with more than 40 important photographers, inventors, and prominent figures in the field of photography Wang explores how this monumental shift in practice has impacted their work.

General Admission: $10

Complimentary to Purchase College students, staff, and faculty, as well as Neuberger Museum of Art Circle Level Members

Wednesday, March 2, 6 pm

Focus on the Collection Tour: The Instant as Image

Join curator Chelsea Spengemann for a tour of The Instant as Image, featuring photographs of motion from the Neuberger’s permanent collection. She will discuss works by Barbara Morgan and Larry Fink and the history of instantaneous photography.

(M) Household Member+

Space is limited and reservations are required.

RSVP: Hanna.Mckean@purchase.edu or 914-251-6114

Family Fare

Africa! Family Day

Saturday, February 13, 1-4pm

Check out our beautiful collection of African art and celebrate Black History Month. Immerse yourself in folk-stories told by master story teller Dr. Joyce Duncan, and enjoy a photography workshop, light refreshments, and music.

Free for Neuberger Family Circle Members and above; Non-members: $10 per child eighteen and under; adults free

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The Neuberger Museum of Art opened on the campus of Purchase College, SUNY, in 1974 with a core collection donated by Roy R. Neuberger, one of the twentieth century’s most important private art collectors, philanthropists, and arts advocates. The collection contains important works by some of America’s best-known artists, including Milton Avery, Romare Bearden, Willem de Kooning, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Jackson Pollock. Housed in a building designed by Philip Johnson, the permanent collection now encompasses more than 7,000 works of contemporary, modern, Latin American, and African art.

Today, the Neuberger is more active and vibrant than ever. Critically acclaimed exhibitions, regularly accompanied by catalogues, draw local, regional, and international audiences. The Museum’s signature biannual award, The Roy R. Neuberger Exhibition Prize, recognizes the work of exceptional young artists, continuing our founder’s dedication to supporting those in the early stages of their careers. A wealth of educational tours, lectures, and interactive programs engage our broad and diverse community. The museum welcomes visitors of all ages including Purchase College students and faculty, special needs groups, families with young children, k-12 schoolchildren, art enthusiasts, and many more.

The Museum is located at 735 Anderson Hill Road in Purchase, N.Y. (Westchester)

914-251-6100

www.neuberger.org

Museum Hours

Tuesday, Thursday through Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm

Wednesdays 12 noon to 8 pm

Closed Mondays and major holidays

Group tours by appointment only on Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 am to 12 noon

For persons with special needs, designated parking is available at the south end

of the Museum building. Call ahead for wheelchair accommodations.

Walk-in Public Tours

Tuesday–Friday, Gallery Talk, 1 pm

Sunday, Topic Tour, 2 pm

Sunday, Gallery Talk, 3 pm

Gallery talks offer fresh insights into the Museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collection, while Topic Tours explore different aspects of the permanent collection.

Museum Store

Open during Museum hours. The store features a broad selection of art books,

art cards, handcrafted jewelry, children’s items and one-of-a-kind limited edition gifts.

Admission

$5.00 General Public

$3.00 Seniors

Free admission for Museum members, children 12 and under, and Purchase College students, faculty, and staff

Directions

The Neuberger Museum of Art is easily accessible by car or bus, and may also be reached by Metro-North. By car: From the North or South - take the Hutchinson River Parkway to Exit 28. Head north on Lincoln Avenue to Anderson Hill Road. Turn right onto Anderson Hill Road. Left at first traffic light into Purchase College campus. From 684 - take Exit 2 South on Route 120 to Anderson Hill Road. Turn left onto Anderson Hill to 2nd traffic light. Turn left at Purchase College campus. From the East - take Route 287 (Cross Westchester Expressway) to Exit 8E. Take second left over Expressway onto Anderson Hill Road. Follow signs to SUNY Purchase.

Handicap Parking

On the Purchase College campus, park in Parking Lot #1 and proceed to the underpass at the Performing Arts Center. The handicap elevator is located across from the entrance to the Performing Arts Center. Take the elevator to the second level, then exit to the left. The entrance to the museum is located diagonally across, about a city block away.

Photo caption of photo from “The Instant as Image” exhibition:

Elliott Erwitt

Jacqueline Kennedy, Arlington, Virginia, 1963

Gelatin silver print on paper

20 x 16 inches

Collection Neuberger Museum of Art

Purchase College, State University of New York

Gift of Donna and Marvin Schwartz

1982.08.01.14