Today’s release, The Tetons, Snake River, reminds us what we love about Ansel Adams: his passion for the environment, his incredible talent, and the unbelievable reach of his work.
The Tetons, Snake River by Ansel Adams
8"x10" ($24) | 11"x14" ($60) | 16"x20" ($240) | 20"x24" ($600) | 30"x40" ($1800)
Throughout his life, Ansel Adams fought for new parks and preservation of wilderness areas. (It would be difficult to photograph such majestic natural landscapes and not become active in their conservation.) This very image, among others in Adams’ body of work, played an integral role in lobbying Congress to declare the Sequoia and Kings Canyon areas as national parks. The Tetons, Snake River used the grandeur of the American landscape to help bring the public's attention to the important issue of environmental protection.
Not only did people become more aware of the conservation movement through Adams’ images, it also marked a shift in public interest towards photography as an art form. Part of that change was Adams’ technical mastery. He delighted in the details of the practice, producing ten volumes of technical manuals (widely considered some of the most influential books on the subject!). Nowhere is that passion for the art more beautifully expressed than in The Tetons, Snake River. Taken in the late afternoon in Wyoming, his use of a small aperture setting lent the image its rich tones and depth as well as its stunning clarity. The way Adams framed the image draws you into the winding Snake River, toward the immensity of the Grand Teton mountain range.
Adams' work is far-reaching...like, really far. How far? We’re talking beyond Pluto. The Tetons, Snake River was chosen as one of 115 images included on the Voyager Golden Record. The records, placed on Voyager 1 and 2, intended to communicate the story of Earth to any species they encounter on their journey through interstellar space. That’s right: Ansel Adams’ The Tetons, Snake River may very well be hanging in an extraterrestrial living room beyond our solar system. And if it’s worthy of an alien abode, we’re sure you’ll love it in your own home.
With art for everyone,
Team 20x200
