"Edward Weston: The Last Years in Carmel "
2001-06-02 until 2001-09-16
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL, USA

Between 1938 and 1948, Edward Weston took the last photographs of his illustrious career, most of them at Point Lobos or at his home in the Carmel Highlands on the central California coast. The first photographs of this period were not just details, still lifes, or landscapes, as he had done before, but vistas, horizons, waves, and atmospheres of mood. Photographs of the latter part of the period reveal a greater psychological component, as Weston transcended his formalist approach.

His work was both a release and a receptacle as he experienced a failing marriage, battled Parkinson's disease, and saw his sons leave for military service. No longer was he a footloose adventurer. No longer was he making photographs noted primarily for their technical virtuosity and innovative composition. Now a different emotional mix, a more somber state of mind, caused him to reflect directly on the condition of his own. Central to the selection for this exhibition are Weston's landscapes of Point Lobos. While those photographs alone could make for a powerful exhibition, the man behind the camera would be lost. Thus, the touching portraits of his family and the domestic scenes he created in and around his home are included. The majority of the 75 photographs for this exhibition will be drawn from the collections at The Art Institute of Chicago and the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of Illinois

Other Important Exhibitions in Chicago