Ansel Adams Debate Heats Up

So I want to take a little bit of a break from figuring out what person I will be researching for my blog and talk about the Ansel Adams negatives that seem to be making big news. If you don't know about them they are glass negatives that were bought at a garage sale in Fresno, California by Rick Norsigian for $45. The authority over Ansel Adam's artwork and estate is his grandson, Matthew Adams, and The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust. Trust like these are setup to protect an artist's work, which is very valuable for authenticity and reproduction protection.



The biggest problem I have with what Rick Norsigian and the art authorities he is dealing with is the first step they should have taken was to talk to The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust. If they were really looking to preserve the artwork and authenticate the negatives they would have gone through the proper channels. They may have been disappointed by the results as such but now their real intentions are just looking towards turning a profit.



You can now buy an "Ansel Adams" print from them for $7500, darkroom print that is, if you just want a badly printed poster then you can get that for $45. The darkroom work really is my big issue with this whole story. Now, I know Ansel Adams envisioned his work in the camera as he saw fit with meticulous attention to detail and perfect exposure. But I have to say he was a master in the darkroom, whether it was him or assistants, his idea of the photograph prevailed. I have seen multiple prints of Ansel Adams work and you can tell from print to print that there is dodging and burning. So how does the darkroom workers know what Ansel Adams would have done with these negatives if they really are his? I know what I would have done if I was working with negatives but that's me and technically that is my style and my technique, unique to me without the opinion of the great Ansel Adams to back me up.

I think it's completely wrong and if they are really Ansel Adam's negatives they should be working with his estate. They are setup for a reason, not just for some random person to turn a profit, but to protect the work and the artist.