After Ansel Adams celebrated Ansel Adams as an artist whose masterful views of America’s National Parks have influenced generations of photographers. The exhibition explores how nine contemporary photographers have created new interpretations of the American West in some of the most iconic landscapes of our Western National Parks. Exhibited alongside Adams’ own photographs made in National Parks, their images invite viewers to consider how different artists approach similar subject matter, resulting in startlingly unique works. While some are working directly in the footsteps of Adams, others have used the framework of his photographs to develop their own ideas and artistic vision.

Yellowstone became America’s first National Park in 1872. Since then, designated areas of protected and preserved land have become essential to defining and categorizing our country’s natural beauty, serving as the subject for countless images by surveyors, tourists, and artists alike. Adams was keenly aware of his emotional connection to America’s National Parks and how his use of photography could translate those emotions to the viewer. Decades after Adams’ passing in 1984, it is remarkable to consider the number of ways in which these landscapes have continued to inspire successive generations of artists.

The photographs in After Ansel Adams represent an array of approaches to photographing in the National Parks. From unique photographic processes to conceptually based photographs, the images in the exhibition vary in each artist’s intent, from capturing quiet moments of natural beauty to physically manipulating or layering historical and personal connections to place.

Artists included in the exhibition: Matthew Brandt, Binh Danh, Mark Klett & Byron Wolfe, Michael Lundgren, Chris McCaw, Takeshi Shikama, Millee Tibbs, and Donna J. Wan