ECF - Corcoran Edition

Tonight we went to the Corcoran Gallery of Art after work. They had two photography exhibits that we didn't want to miss - Ansel Adams and Annie Liebovitz. They were wonderful. We saw the Ansel Adams part first. Many of the gorgeous black and white landscape shots we're all familiar with were on display. There is a crispness and a depth to his work that is really fantastic. Some of the shots surprised me. There was one, of a freshly picked rose on a piece of driftwood, that was a lovely study in contrast.
Naturally, when you view an exhibit with children, they're bound to have a different take on things. Stinkerbelle saw one picture, a rare self portrait of Adams where he appeared with his camera in a very clear shadow on the rock, and said it reminded her of a certain episode of Scooby Doo. Art is in the eye of the beholder I guess.
We went to see the exhibits because Hubbo really admires Ansel Adams but he was surprised to find that he really enjoyed the Annie Liebovitz exhibit even more. It was wonderful. So many of the photos were familiar, having been previously published in magazines. The subjects of most of them were names we knew, Demi, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Leonardo DiCaprio and so many more. Interspersed among the portraits of the better known names were pictures of the artist's family. Many were grouped in sets of 4 and there was an intimacy about them that drew you in and made you want to know more. I enjoyed it all but I think that the picture that most impressed me is one taken earlier this year of Queen Elizabeth in a dark, wooded landscape. It was so powerful.
I wish I could share more of what I saw with you but photography was not allowed in the special exhibits. Instead I took a few shots in the general collection and that's what you see here. The statue is from the grand staircase. The plate is a piece of Majolica that stood out in a room full of similar pieces. The portrait, called Azucar, is of Celia Cruz and it's made of different fibers and materials wrapped in small bundles.