U students have the opportunity to view the world's largest collection of Edward Weston's photographs on campus this month.
Weston (1886-1958) was acclaimed as one of the masters of 20th-century photography.
Ansel Adams, a popular contemporary of Weston's, praised him for his ability to capture the essence of landscapes.
"Weston is, in the real sense, one of the few creative artists of today. He has recreated the matter-forms and forces of nature; he has made these forms eloquent of the fundamental unity of the world. His work illuminates man's inner journey toward perfection of the spirit," Adams wrote.
The New York Times called Weston "a pioneering modernist and a master of 20th-century photography."
Weston was the first photographer to receive the Guggenheim Scholarship.
This was an award that brought photography to the surface as a fine art, rather than a secondary form, according to Roula Seikaly, a collections assistant at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
"Edward Weston: Life Work" consists of 100 images that convey an important shift in the photography medium from a soft, pictorial focus to a modernist format.
Weston possessed the unique ability to work with form, patterns, lighting and shape.
"There is an organic and sensual quality in everything [Weston] does. There are no straight lines in nature, and he really exploits that idea and carries it to a sensual extreme," said Mary Francey, curator of American art.
The arrival of the Weston exhibit is a rare opportunity for the U.
"It's a chance to see a wide spectrum of his work. If you went to 10 different institutions in the United States, you could probably see one or two pieces from his entire career," Seikaly said. "It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
The works on display are split into six categorized rooms consisting of Weston's early works, photographs from his years in Mexico, still-lifes, nudes, landscapes and portraits.
Weston traveled from his homeland of Illinois to California and Mexico throughout his life.
The exhibit has been brought to the U by collectors Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg.
"Mattis has been avidly collecting Weston's work for the better part of 20 years," Seikaly said. "He's amassed quite a collection-probably the largest private holding of Weston's photography in the United States, if not the United States and Europe."
Mattis is a friend of museum director David Dee.
Mattis' father, Daniel Mattis, also works at the U as a professor of physics.
Weston's prints will be on display through April 11.
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is open free to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
It will also be open from noon to 5 on Saturdays and Sundays.
A panel discussion regarding Weston's photographs will be held at the Dumke Auditorium on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.
Michael Mattis will host a walk-through discussion of the Weston exhibit on Feb. 28 at 3 p.m.
Both the panel and walk through will be free and open to the public.
sgehrke@chronicle.utah.edu
