Ansel Adam's Tree Stump And Mist: A Formal Analysis

ARTS103OL
Art Appreciation

A FORMAL ANALYSIS of
Ansel Adam’s
Tree, Stump and Mist,
North Cascades National Park

Instructor: Cheryl Knowles-Harrigan

Part I – Selection of the Art Object:
The intent of this paper is to make a Formal Analysis of Ansel Adam’s Tree, Stump and Mist for greater self- understanding and to be a better art appreciation critic. The work I have selected for this requirement will be explained and critiqued in depth to provide complete understanding. I will also include information that will provide insight into the artists’ background and what his artwork means to not only the art world, but the naturalist in all of us. Part II – Identification of the Art Object:
1. Title of the Work: “ Tree, Stump, and Mist, North Cascades National Park”
2. Artist: Ansel Adams
3. Year Completed: 1958
4. Medium/Technique/Process used: Gelatin silver print photograph
5. Size: 10 x 13 inches
6. Where produced: Washington State
7. Where located now: This artwork is not on display (Metropolitan Museum)
(http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/190014314?vid=37bc1ecf-55ea-43c5-a8e8-29e9b5fca2ae)

Part III – Objective Description of the Art Object’s Subject Matter:
This black and white photo is of very large irregularly shaped tree stumps. To the left and right of the center line are two tall pine trees. The tree on the left is tall and straight and the tree on the right is leaning severely to the left. In the foreground, the irregularly shaped tree stumps have multiple smaller pine trees and new growth growing up from its crevices. The tree stumps have great visual texture. It is difficult to see if there is more than one stump present or if this was just one large tree. The above ground root system has multiple layers and textures. The roots appear to be overlapping each other. There is a sheen from multiple sites on the tree stump. In the background, there is mist clouding the tree on the right side of the picture. This makes it hard to see clearly. There is no sun present. The distant view from this site is non-existent due to the mist. The air appears to be heavy with mist. This site is very tranquil. There is no implied motion. The focal point of this photograph is the stump.

Part IV – Examination of the Art Object’s Medium/Technique/Process Used:
1. Identify the medium:
The medium used according to Robyn G. Peterson, Ph.D of The Turtle Bay Exploration Park is gelatin silver print photography (Peterson par. 6). The paper that is used contains silver halides (Brown par. 2). The black and white photo is made from a film negative. The image that is made from the negative is done by oxidation of the silver that is mixed with gelatin as part of the paper emulsion (Cohen par. 1).

2. Recapitulate in some detail the technique or process used (the basic tools and steps the artist would generally use) to create the work from its initial idea to the finished work.
By 1940 when this photo was taken Ansel Adams used a view camera with a film pack. Along with Fred Archer, Ansel Adams developed the “Zone System” (Cohen par. 1). This is a process that allows a photographer best control of his black and white film and is best used with sheet film. The reason being that you can develop one piece at a time. This turns into the negative that photos are made from. “Expose for the shadows: develop for the highlights” (Koren par. 5).

Part V – Examination of the Art Object’s Composition (Its Form Organization):
1. Identify and describe a specific incidence of each Art Element found in the art object’s composition from the list found below: A. Line B. Shape C. Space D. Color E. Texture F. Pattern G. Time and Motion

Line: This black and white photograph has multiple lines. The lines are both thick and thin. The branches of the trees are angular and asymmetrical. The stumps have many cross contour lines of various sizes and widths. There is no line of motion. There is implied line of site which leads your vision right to the peak of the stump. The lines of both the pine trees and the stump are haphazard.
Shape: The photograph itself is rectangular in shape. The dimensions are 10 X 13 inches. The stumps and trees look like the photograph was taken from a vantage point below the peak of the stumps. The stump is asymmetrical.
Space: This photograph is a two dimensional flat surface. This representational photo shows trees in various stages of growth. The growth is mainly coming from the tree stumps in the foreground. The illusion that this photograph gives is that you are standing near a stump maybe in the background. The illusion of texture is made apparent by the sheen on the stumps.
Color: As in most of Ansel Adams’ photos’, the color is achromatic. This seems to be his subjective color. The color is not local. The tree stumps are shaded giving it a sense of depth.
Texture: The texture of this photograph is multifaceted. The stump surface is very rough. The edges of the roots are jagged and overlapping. Texture is visible to the eye in the tall pine trees on the left and right of this photograph.
Pattern: There is no real pattern to this photograph. I see nothing that is organized about this photo. The only thing that may be a pattern in this photograph is that nature is renewing itself by producing the seedling trees present in the crevices of the stump.
Time and Motion: There is no implied motion. The weather appears calm but misty. From the line of the trees and seedlings, I do not see any movement. It is hard to try and tell what time of day or year it is because of all the mist. The trees are deciduous so they do not lose their needles.
2. At the end of this set of paragraphs identify any Art Elements that you think is not found or used in the art objects composition.
I feel that Ansel Adams, in this photograph, lacked time as one of the art elements. This work of art with the mist in the background precluded you from any thought of what time of day or year it was. Only that it was daytime. It may be that this photo was taken high on a mountain range and the clouds were low that day. With the mist, you are not able to see anything in the distance, near or far.
Also it lacks motion. You could look at the tall pine tree in the background, right, and say that maybe it is windy. But I do not think that is the case as no other tree branch or sapling shows movement. The tall pine tree in the background that is leaning severely to the left, I think, just grew that way out of the side of a mountain.
3. Identify and describe a specific incidence of each Art Principle used in the art object’s composition from the list found below:¬ A. Balance B. Emphasis and Focal Point C. Scale and Proportion D. Repetition and Rhythm E. Unity and Variety

Balance: This photograph has approximate symmetrical balance. There are three areas of negative space. The balance in this photo comes from the two large pine trees and the large tree stump in the foreground. The tree stump in the foreground is very large in perspective to the leaning pine tree in the background. The pine tree in the background appears to be smaller than the pine tree on the left of the photograph. That is difficult to assess from the vantage point the photo was taken.
Emphasis and Focal Point: The focal point of this photograph is the large stump. When you look at this picture that is where your eye goes first (line of site). The stump almost looks three dimensional due to the shading of the roots. Adams was drawing your attention to the stump.
Scale and Proportion: The scale and proportion of the trees, stump and new growth in relation to the size of the photograph are equal. The tree in the background is smaller than the tree in the foreground giving you the sense of depth. The undergrowth is developing in different stages of growth, but seems to be relative to each other. Smaller realistic details are present in the undergrowth.
Repetition and Rhythm: The repetition of this photograph is that the tall pine trees seem to be the same as the smaller saplings growing from the roots of the stump. Also, the repetition of the irregular tree roots are consistent. This photograph shows the rhythm of the forest.
Unity and Variety: This photograph has a sense of completeness. The photograph has different textures related to the roots and that gives it variety. The tall pine trees seem to pull the whole photo together. It is unified in the fact that that there is no bright sunlight seen. The lines of the trees and the stump unify this photo. This photograph, especially the stump and the mist in the background makes it seem surreal.
4. At the end of this set of paragraphs identify any Art Principles that you think is not found or used in the art object’s composition.
I feel that overall Ansel Adams did a good job overall representing the art principles. He seemed to really understand how to take a photo that would capture your attention. The work seems to be balanced and a good example of representational art.
Part VI – The Art Object’s Historical Data of Its Culture and Time Period:
1. Social, economic, ideological, religious and political structure or activities that impacts on the art object itself:
Social:
San Francisco was in an era of Progressivism. It was at a time in which attention was being brought to the public eye regarding such things as inefficiently run government, women not receiving minimum wage for their work and poor working conditions in general. Income tax was created and so was a national banking system along with many other things that would make living much easier. Examples of this would be electricity and telephones. Public health initiatives were also created to help people live without the threat of communicable disease
(Mintz, par. 4).
Economic:
People were working long hours in factories for very little pay. Children would often work from home doing piecework. Their home was usually a squalid tenement that everyone in the family lived in together. Children would often lie about their age to get a job to help support their family. Wages at that time were $8.25 a week, unless you were a slow worker or a child (Redeker, slide 2).
Ideological:
During this period of unrest in the United States President Theodore Roosevelt worked hard at preserving our natural resources, making government accountable and by making working conditions fair and equal for all. He also created the “ Pure Food and Drug Act” (Anderson, par. 4). Theodore Roosevelt was President from 1901-1909 and was proactive in establishing five national parks and preserving 148 million acres as national forest (Mintz, par. 4).
Religion:
Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States at the time and thought the human race went through an “evolutionary pattern” (Spaulding, page 9). He attended both a Dutch reformed and Episcopal church. Ansel Adams found his religion in nature. He did not belong to any organized religion ( Spaulding , page 9).
Political Structure or Activities:
The political activities at the time were centered around conservation and the environment.
Adams photographed Japanese Americans in prison camps. This was groundbreaking information for humankind.
He became a photographer, unofficially, for the United States park system ( Ansel Adams: Beyond Black and White par. 12).
2. Present an overview of the technological or scientific activities that has some bearing on the art object itself.

During the Progressive Era, the advancement of electricity was encouraged by President
Woodrow Wilson (Harnessing the Power of Innovation in the Progressive Era par 2.). In World
War 1, more troops died of influenza than of actual battle. The entire medical community had devoted itself to finding an effective treatment (Billings par 4). During WW 1, the rifle was making great advancement toward being the weapon of choice for soldiers that were in combat.

3. Explain, if important, the role and function of artists in general in the art object’s cultural and time period setting.
The role of photographer, for Ansel Adams, was one that he enjoyed his entire life. He started with photography as a child. He started with a Box Brownie camera taking pictures of creatures in tidal pools near his boyhood home. He was self-taught in this trade and had a keen eye for all things of nature. In the 1930’s and 40’s, there was a government funded program known
as
W.P.A. It was originally started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was designed to put able bodied people back to work. This included the arts. The program funded plays, art projects and journalism (“History Channel website” par 2.). The pay scale was could be from $23.00 to $35.00 per week. They made new art world connections every week by waiting in line for their paychecks. This is a time when surrealism, abstract, pop, minimalism and graffiti art came to be. This privilege was an excellent way to gain experience and notoriety. Jackson Pollock was one of the artists who took part in this program (Hendler par.1-3).
Part VII – The Art Object’s Auto/Biographical Data of the Artist/School:
1. Provide an auto/biographical sketch of the artist or school that specifically leads up to the art object itself:

Ansel Adams was born Feb. 20, 1902, at home in San Francisco (Gherman pages 1, 92). He was the son of Charles Adams (an astronomer) and Olive Adams ( a stay at home mother) who loved the arts. His trademark crooked nose came to be on April 18, 1906 with the great earthquake of San Francisco. It occurred early in the morning and after getting out of bed to see what had happened, he was hurled across the room into the wall by an aftershock. He was too young to fix his nose at that time according to the family doctor. As a child, Ansel was sick much of the time and spent much time alone in his bedroom. When he was able to go to school, the teachers told his parents that he was an unruly child. They withdrew him from school and attempted to homeschool the child. They taught him Greek, French, algebra, the classics and how to play the piano. He never had more than an eighth grade education. At age 12 he found out what a camera obscura was and his father then showed him the inside of his personal camera. In 1916 he was given a “simple Kodak Box Brownie” camera by his family (Gherman page 20) while on vacation in Yosemite.
Ansel Adams would become one of the great photographers of nature of all time. He traveled through the Western United States taking photos of nature. He found that “mountain life and regular exercise were doing him a world of good” (Spaulding 33). As a child he had been sick much of the time and this new way of life was doing him a world of good. He traveled to many secluded places in the national parks by donkey, carrying a heavy pack of camera, tripod, filters and lenses. Here he was very content just trying to find the right angle to take a photo.
Ansel Adams met Virginia Best in Yosemite where she lived with her father. It took him until
New Years’s Eve 1927 to ask her to marry him. They then married Jan 2, 1928 and split their time living between Yosemite with Virginia’s dad and San Francisco with Ansel’s parents.
Their son Michael was born August 1, 1933 in Yosemite while Ansel was away from home with the Sierra Club and their daughter Anne was born March 8, 1935, again while Ansel was away from home.
They continued to live in Yosemite even after the death of Mr. Best. In the mean time they built a home close to Ansel’s parents. It was more of a studio for Ansel (Gherman page 47).
Ansel continued to study piano while learning the tricks of photography. He knew he would have to decide which he liked better because he could not keep the pace up for both. His trip to New Mexico and a discussion with Paul Strand helped him decide that photography was his real passion. Ansel went on to perfect his picture-taking technique and the development of those photos. He would become one of the most well-known photographers of nature of all times. Ansel Adams died April 22, 1984 in Carmel, California.
2. Discuss the specific historical event or cultural context in which the art object was produced:

World War II had started and Adams was rejected as a soldier because of his age (40 years old) and the fact that he had a wife and children. He decided that he would help the war effort
from home by teaching soldiers how to take photographs. The US government decided to make a camp in California for Japanese American citizens after Pearl Harbor. Ansel was asked to come to the camp and take photos to show how well the people were treated. His photos were met with opposition from a fellow photographer named Dorothea Lange. She thought the photos should show the people wearing ID tags that made them feel like “packages” (Gherman page 73) instead of glorifying their experience. He did not want to show that they were unlike regular
American families.
3. Explain the art object’s place in the history of art in terms of its artistic style:
Ansel Adams’s art will be known for its natural beauty. He took photographs the way he thought things should be seen. His signature black and white photos are recognized throughout the world. He over came many difficulties of childhood and went on to receive honorary degrees from Harvard and Stanford. “It was always Adams’s hope that his photographs could inspire people to discover that beauty in their own lives” (Spaulding page 368).
Part VIII – Your Interpretation of the Art Object’s Content (your critical judgment):
1. Describe the artist’s intention and to what degree does the art object communicate it?
Ansel Adams was one of the greatest nature photographers of all times. His passion was to preserve nature and all its resources for generations to come. From the time he was a young man he knew that this was what he wanted to do. Throughout the years he took numerous pictures. Some of the locations that he chose were not the easiest to get to while carrying heavy equipment. But he persevered and documented nature at its finest. His art is well received throughout the world. When looking at these photos’ you feel like you are right there in the picture seeing it first hand.
2. Has the artist used the medium, technique or process sensitively in relation to the above?
The medium technique used is gelatin silver print photograph. He then made his prints from the negative he created in the darkroom. Adams was able to bring the world to his viewer’s through photograph’s without them ever having left the comfort of their home. He later helped develop the “Zone System” to help other photographers select the right black and white tone they wanted for their photos (Cohen par. 1).
3. How does it make you feel and think? Why?
The photograph makes me feel at peace. I am not really sure what time of day or year it is.
I think that I probably had to hike very far through rough terrain to get to this spot. The photograph is totally worth it though. From looking at this photo I feel like a new tree will come from this stump, but it will be years from now. I think as a naturalist, Adams, always gets his point across.
4. How does it relate to you in relation to the world or universe as a whole?
I feel that I am just a small part of the universe. When I see the many photo’s Adams’ has taken throughout the year, not only of the spectacular national parks, but of people and their everyday lives, it is very humbling. He had a very precious gift that not many people get. If I had the chance and was physically able, I would like to hike to the spot where this photo was taken.
5. In what ways does it remind you of other art objects seen or studied in this course?
Adams’ photographs remind me of the very first photo in our textbook, “The Gates” by Christo and Jeanne Claude (Sayre page 1). It makes you very aware of your surroundings, as does Adams. You have to step back and really look at the picture and examine what they are trying to say to you. With Adams it is that you should preserve nature for future generations. With “The Gates” picture, it makes you very aware of the size of the park and when the exhibit is over they leave no carbon footprint. Everything was dismantled and recycled. They both had works of art that involved a natural setting. “The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak” ( Sayre page 26) by Albert Bierstadt, also involves artwork in the natural setting. But Bierstadt uses oil on canvas to show his artwork instead of camera with film. “Luncheon on the Grass” (Sayre page 43) by Edouard Manet is also a work of art that depicts people in nature. The difference with Manet’s work is that it lacks the depth that is present with Adams’ work.

CITATIONS:
Anderson, William. "The Progressive Era." . Future of Freedom Foundation, 2006. Web. 13 Jun 2012. . "Ansel Adams: Beyond Black and White." . University of Montana, 2006. Web. 13 Jun 2012. .

Billings, Molly. "The Influenza Pandemic of 1918." . N.p., 2005. Web. 13 Jun 2012. .

Brown, Patrick. “http://www.gelatinsilverprint.com/gelatinsilverprint.com/Gelatin_Silver _Print.html.” N.p., 2011. Web. 7 Jun 2012. . Cohen, Philip. "http://www.usefilm.com/Photo_Forum/13/1012060/." . N.p., 1/31/2006. Web. 7 Jun 2012. .

""FDR creates the WPA."." The History Channel website. N.p., 2012. Web. 22 Jun 2012. .

Gherman, Beverly. Ansel Adams: America 's Photographer. 1st. Italy: Little, Brown and Company, 200. Print.

"Harnessing the Power of Innovation in the Progressive Era." . culturaltourismdc.org, 2012. Web. 13 Jun 2012. .

Hendler, Jeannette. "The W.P.A. Artists Project." . The Fine Arts Trader, 2009. Web. 23 Jun 2012.

Koren, Norman. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/zone_system.shtml. N.p., 2001. Web. 7 Jun 2012.

"The Metropolitan Museum of Art." . N.p., 2012. Web. 23 Jun 2012. .

Mintz, S.. "http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=162." . N.p., 6/12/12. Web. 13 Jun 2012. .

Peterson, Robyn. www.a-r-t.com/adams. The Turtle Bay Exploration Park, Redding, California, 05/08/2012. Web. 7 Jun 2012. .

Redeker, J.. N.p., 2000. Web. 13 Jun 2012. . Sayre, Henry. A World Of Art. 6th. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.

Spaulding, Jonathan. Ansel Adams and the American Landscape. 1st. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998. Print.