Vital Waters - Exhibition Review

    The Vital Waters exhibition is currently held at the Sangre de Cristo Art Museum from June 5, 2021 to January 21, 2022. It is showcasing photography taken by Ansel Adams, Ernest Brooks, Dorothy Kerper Monnelly, Scott Campbell (who was born in Pueblo), Chuck Davis, Ryuijie Douglas, Camille Lenore and Robin V Robinson, specifically highlighting the works of Ansel Adams. I know that's a lot of names but credit should be given where credit is due. 

    When you enter the exhibit you almost wonder where the color is, but the more photographs you come across, the more you think how fitting it was. One wall of the exhibition told about the artists (general info like what they accomplished, where they were from, etc.) There was also an old camera on display closer to the "About the Artists" wall than any other. Although I thought the room lacked color, when I think back to some of the photographs I don't remember them in black and white, they've suddenly become colorful and that was not something I was anticipating. Seeing images in black and white can show you just how much depth and where the values and shades in the "colors" align. I believe it also leaves a little bit of imagination for you to finish the photograph. Every successful art piece whether photo or painting, leaves a little bit to the audience to analyze and imagine.  

    In actually analyzing the exhibition, the photographs were well-laid out, providing very good flow through the space. The photographs themselves were actually numbered 1 through however many there were (I don't recall numbers very well). The curator of the project (Jeanne Adams: CEO of the Ansel Adams Gallery - a family business of 104 years) specifically ordered each photograph this way. I tried to look for a theme in her doing so and it looks as if the journey starts underwater with sunken ships, ocean animals and water (of course!). It is also worth mentioning that beside each photograph there is a description in white letters describing a story to go along with this moment captured from the artists view. 

    Considering all I have mentioned thus far, the exhibition did an amazing job of showing just how much devotion these photographers had and expressed their lived knowledge of beloved places through a celebration of nature. I fully recommend going to see it if you haven't already.

These are a few of my favorites I saw:

Ansel Adams using his camera which was mounted on his car so he didn't have to carry it 


Dorothy Kerper Monnelly | Salt Hay, First Light, Gloucester, MA (1998) | Artsy
Dorothy Kerper Monnelly
Salt Hay, First Light, Gloucester, MA, 1998
Gelatin silver print
28 × 22 inches

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