Edward and Brett Weston's Like Father, Like Son photography exhibition from Feb. 21 to Aug. 23, 2015. Located on the second floor in the North West wing of the Art Museum, the exhibit features 23 prints of both Edward and Brett Weston's work.
| by Brianna Kessler | It is said by most critics that it is rare to see the two artists" work showcased together. This is a great opportunity to compare the two artists" photographs, according to cartermusuem.org. Viewers can see how the artists" work balances each other out while getting a feel for their differences at the same time.
Edward Weston (1886-1958) and his son Brett (1911-1993) are among the most heralded and influential photographers this country has produced, according to the artist statement. Edward Weston became quite known in the 1920s for his close-up photographs of well-detailed objects. Brett Weston, one of four of Edward's sons, found his passion for photography in 1925 after a trip to Mexico.
This exhibition showcases the final stage of Edward Weston's emerging vision and Brett Weston's artistic memorandum in abstraction to climax the divergence of father and son. The collaborative work of the two highlights the ideas that photographs can record the world and transform it into a symphony of form, light and texture at the same time.
All 23 gelatin silver prints are in black and white and are mounted on standard white mats in a simple black frame. The historic and iconic photographs represent the artists" collection title, Like Father, Like Son, by taking the viewer first through Edward's photos and then through Brett's.
All photos are aligned side by side along four walls. The first photo in the exhibition is No. 10 – Pepper, 1930, which has a striking resemblance to his best-known photograph, Pepper No. 30. The photograph illustrates a single green pepper in black and white. He photographed around 30 images in his pepper series.
As viewers make their way through Edward's work, they witness his still-life photos transformed from simple objects like vegetables to people, deserts, beaches and trees. The photos were taken from all around the world, highlighting places such as Mexico, California and Colorado. Next the viewer is taken through time into Brett's work, which also features images from all over the world from some of the same places as his father. Brett's photos feature tree roots, beaches, trees, swamps and broken glass. You see a more modern theme in Brett's work compared to Edward's. However, the artistic similarity between the two stands out.
The exhibit has quite an emotional appeal due to the father-and-son connection. It brings viewers to ponder about their own personal connection to their fathers. What talents might they share?
