Essay On The Professor’s Name

Why The Photograph “The Tetons and The Snake River” Is a Successful Artwork

When faced with a task of choosing a truly successful artwork, what art medium does one resort to most frequently? Likely, that would be painting, sculpture, film or architecture. One would consider Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, “Gone with The Wind”, Taj Mahal and the like. The photography would not be an immediate or obvious choice. And yet, the iconic photograph “The Tetons and The Snake River” by the renowned American photographer Ansel Adams is undoubtedly a striking example of an art work, which is forever ingrained in the history of photography as one of its milestones and a defining moment for the development of this particular art form. A testament to this fact would be the inclusion of the photograph in the Voyager Golden Record as one of the 115 images designated to be found by any possible intelligent life form in the universe, if it exists. This goes to show how proud the humanity is of this specific artwork.
Still, the question remains. What defines a successful work of art, especially this one? Is it an ability to outlive its creator? Or is it something else entirely? In the case of “The Tetons and The Snake River”, I would suggest a combination of several factors that could also be applied to a large portion of other famous art works.

ARTISTIC VALUE

First and foremost, it is about the outstanding artistic value of the photograph. The breathtaking beauty of the spectacle depicted on the photograph is undeniable. The stunning imagery of the turning Snake River in front of Teton mountain range masterfully portrayed in the minimalist, but poignant, black and white color scheme is remarkably aesthetically pleasing.
The choice of perspective picked by the artist is rather significant as well. The vantage-point perspective, as skillfully demonstrated in this photograph, elevates the viewer and gives them a more fulfilling display. The author pushes the boundaries between abstraction and realism by enhancing the contrast and depriving the photograph of colors and thus giving it a somewhat eerie feeling. Through such unconventional means Adams casts a spell of enchantment on the viewers, mesmerizing them by the view before their eyes.
Simultaneously, the photograph shows the majestic essence of nature in its most pristine from – unspoiled by the man. The nature in the photograph is depicted as somewhat remote, unattainable, unapproachable, in a way – too pure for a human to touch. It is frozen in its perfection. It almost screams to the viewer: “Stop right there! Do not harm it!” It challenges the viewer to listen to the voice of the nature, to hear it, to heed it.

HISTORICAL RELEVANCE

The above observation gradually brings us to the next point in addressing the question of the makings of a successful artwork. An artwork can be considered a successful one only if it has relevance and significance that goes way beyond the time period of its creation. Not only should it evoke visceral emotional response from a person, but a practical one as well. It should inspire, it should provide an incentive for an action, for a change. And it should do so for every generation, irrespective of the time of its making.
When analyzing the significance of “The Tetons and The Snake River” in that regard, it would be wise to draw our attention to the persona of its author – Ansel Adams. The individual that was not only exceptionally gifted in the field of photography, but furthermore an ardent environmentalist and an avid advocate for the protection of wild nature. Being as young as 17, Adams became an active member of the Sierra Club, a group dedicated to the protection of the wild nature of the earth, and remained a loyal participant of the organization throughout his lifetime. He fought for the establishment of new parks and wilderness areas, for protection of endangered species. He firmly stood against the privatization of public parks and their commercialization, as well as the loss of parkland and the usage of billboards.
Adams’ life was dedicated to appreciating nature and commemorating its beauty by depicting it in his art. He said once: "I believe in beauty. I believe in stones and water, air and soil, people and their future and their fate." Yet the purpose of his photographs was not to satisfy his own aesthetic needs, but rather to persuade other people to value the majesty and wonder of the natural world just as much as he did. He created his art for the benefit of society, in order to challenge its perception of wild nature and urge it to take action with a view to preserving nature. He made his audience feel ashamed of being complacent, of letting such beauty go to waste.
And people listened. Ansel Adams’ splendid portrayals of American landscape had a significant influence on general public and made society more aware of the issues faced by the environment. People felt that the magnificence demonstrated in these photographs must be safeguarded. Basically his photographs succeeded in doing what most environmental agencies failed to do – making people genuinely care. And this is exactly how art becomes iconic. It must make an impact; it must imbue people with the desire to change, to modify, to improve themselves and their surroundings. In this respect, “The Tetons and The Snake River”, among other works by Ansel Adams, is a truly successful work of art.

INFLUENCE ON PHOTOGRAPHY

Then there is another aspect, which must be analyzed in order to accurately determine whether an artwork is or is not successful. This aspect correlates closely with the influence exerted by an artwork on art itself. In this instance we are talking about the photography as an art medium. “The Tetons and The Snake River” was taken at the time when photography had not yet found its footing as an independent art form. In the middle of the 20th century (1942, to be exact) it was still mostly a means to imitate other art forms, namely painting. However, Adams challenged this perception as well.
He was an artist who helped to establish photography as an art form within its own right. He was a pioneer in outlining the brand new rules pertinent to photography exclusively, as opposed to using lens techniques or coloring methods with the sole purpose of achieving the imitation of other art forms via photographs. In the field of photography Adams was one of the focal innovators of the 20th century, and “The Tetons and The Snake River” was one of the key art works that played a major part in creating landscape photography as an independent art form. It was dramatic, it was unusual, and it was unique. It made photography rise above being a parody of other art to being actual art on par with painting, sculpture and architecture. Such impact cannot be overestimated.

CONCLUSION

So now, with the full analysis of “The Tetons and The Snake River”, its influence on art as well as society and its attitude towards the environment being almost completed, it is time for us to finally determine whether Ansel Adams’ creation constitutes a successful artwork. Keeping the aforementioned arguments in mind, I do believe it is fair to say that it does. After all, this photograph is considered to have a significant enough impact on the humanity’s culture to be included in the collection of the world’s most extraordinary achievements as indicated by the Voyager Golden Record. To put things into perspective: if the extraterrestrials are somewhere out there, “The Tetons and The Snake River” is going to be their introduction to our nature and the extraordinary beauty of our planet, which is additionally enhanced in this surreal photograph. That is quite a success for an artwork, is it not?
Then again, putting aliens, as intriguing and entertaining as that thought is, aside, the photograph has been very much of a hit on our native planet regardless. It played a part in raising awareness of the issues pertaining to the environment, it helped to shape the photography as an autonomous art domain (specifically, landscape photography), and last but not least, it immortalized Ansel Adams’ name for the generations to come.
Using an example of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, it showcases wild nature the way it had never been before: on the stark contrast of dark and light, somewhat intimidating and yet captivating, hypnotizing, real and raw, unblemished by harmful human influence. It makes you feel a part of it but still you feel like a stranger, an intruder of sorts. It elevates you over the view, in a way of asserting human dominance over nature, and yet it is hard not to feel meager and insignificant compared to the majestic mountain range looming from afar, the impending clouds promising storm, the steady river inexorable in its course through the woods.
It is the artist’s way of telling us that this beauty, this splendor is ours to admire, to marvel at but it is also our duty to preserve it and protect it lest we lose it. That is precisely why this artwork is so successful, famous and important: it makes us feel, it makes us think, but most of all it makes us love and care for our earth, for it is magnificent and one of a kind. Just like this iconic photograph.