Today, Chris Kleine skillfully, nervously walked us throught the narrative surrounding the life and works of Brett Weston. Following the east coast photographers eg Steiglitz (291 Gallery) and Strand, "straight photography" migrated west with the likes of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston and the beginnings of the "West Coast Photography Movement." Straight photography was defined as: Sharp focus and Natural light....to distinguish photography from painting. The movement created workshops and salons eg "Friends of Photography" and the "f64 Group." Brett Weston clearly fell under the influence of his dad Edward as he was growing up...traveling with him to Mexico and other locales where he cam in contact with the artists and photographers of the day. He eventually matured into his own aesthetic and was a technical influence on his dad. By the age of 25 Brett already had his first major solo show at the de Young Museum. Initially using a view camera, he eventually switched to a smaller Rollei. He became intent on exploring scenes devoid of people, form, texture, shadow and light. His production focused on producing a set of 14 portfolios consisting of 10-20 pictures. His later years were spent in Hawaii where he died in 1993. More information can be found at : www.brettwestonarchive.com Also remember, the upcoming Brett Weston exhibit at Pasadena Museum of California Art. Brett Weston: Significant Details April 17, 2016–September 11, 2016 Steve Lewis returned from Detroit for a visit and commented on his reason for taking the job...his missive was longer than what I abstracted below...but you'll get the gist of his comments "From the start, an inherited sense of social consciousness melded with my love of architecture to make me the “citizen architect” that I consider myself to be today. My tireless advocacy for architects of color, along with a demonstrated commitment to cultivating the next generation by advancing the National Organization of Minority Architects’ (NOMA) “Project Pipeline” initiative, has led to my recent selection by the AIA as the 2016 Whitney M. Young, Jr. award recipient, and my elevation to Fellow. While the ride to get here was at times turbulent and uncertain, now that I have arrived, it appears in retrospect to have been a carefully constructed path intended to lead me to this opportunity at a magical moment in time for the City of Detroit. For a city rapidly awakening after decades of slumber, the goal is to develop a vision for Detroit’s future that is inclusive and respectful of all its residents. By insisting on a participatory process of public engagement – one that has transparency at its core – we shall seek to build public trust, understanding, partnership and ownership of a vision for Detroit’s present and future. We have been called to duty, to bring our very best to the fight, with the hope and expectation of turning this bold experiment into resounding success for all who proudly call Detroit home." Chris was back in the darkroom following his recent trip up north an showed a set of great prints from the trip...the picture above is just one. So, Chris did a great job of leading and showing today.
Thank you, Chris
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