Iomann don Domhan: Photographs by
Ron Rosenstock wo rc e s t e r a rt mus eu m
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fál claí tagaid anseo chun damhsa a dhéanamh Neacha eile rock enclosure they come here to dance the Other Ones gabriel roseNstock
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PublisheD by
wo r c e s t e r a rt mu s eu m 55 salisbury street / worcester, ma 01609 w w w.w o r c e s t e r a r t. o r g
isbN 978-0-936042-00-8
Š 2012 wo r c e s t e r a rt mu s eu m
Exhibition and catalogue generously sponsored by Cutler Capital Management and Cutler Associates.
ron rosenstock, 1972
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in the irish language Iomann don Domhan means “hymn to the earth,” a phrase suggested to the photographer by his friend, the irish poet and linguist gabriel rosenstock (no relation). ultimately, the expression relates to the Prithvi Sutka, a prayer in the Atharva Veda from the sacred oral literature of ancient india. the world’s first environmental invocation, it is a fitting metaphor for the photographs of ron rosenstock, whose poetic imagery celebrates the beauty of the earth and man’s place in it. an expert behind the lens and in the darkroom, he commands an artist’s instinct for atmosphere and compositional sensibility. he uses the immediacy and naturalism of photography to provoke contemplative introspection. the photographer purposely excludes figures and storytelling from his images, rather to lead his viewers to tranquil places for their personal thoughts. he finds the subjects of his photographs in his backyard and in distant lands, eliciting their ancient traditions of magic and healing. rosenstock was born in monticello, New york, but moved as a small child to the upstate town of mountaindale. after immigrating from austria in 1901, his grandfather had settled in this small catskills town to work as a carpenter and woodworker, among the first to build the adirondack chair. with inherited dexterity and skill, his father became a mechanic. he later partnered with his older brother to lease automobile service stations in the bronx. During world war ii, when that uncle served in the military, the boy’s immediate family moved to New york city. the business thrived, and when rosenstock was eight years old they moved to long island, where he spent much of his childhood in the suburbs. in the 1950s his father became a successful entrepreneur as owner of the first midas muffler franchises in the bronx. rosenstock began taking photographs at the age of ten, with his own kodak brownie hawkeye camera. like most american hobbyists, he began by taking his exposed film to the local drugstore for processing. soon he and a young friend—whose interest was short-lived—built a darkroom in the rosenstocks’ laundry room. with elementary instructions, trial and error, and dedication beyond his years, the boy taught himself the basics of film chemistry and processing, and made viable contact prints from the little 2 1/4 x 2 3/4-inch negatives. he made photographs of family, friends and neighborhood views and events. rosenstock read about new equipment and techniques in photography magazines, and gradually developed an intuitive feel for the medium. when he took his camera along on a family visit to his brother at college in maine in 1957, he was entranced by the natural landscape, so different from the city and the suburbs he knew. this memorable experience of visual beauty provided a decisive direction to the sensitive teenager.
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in the early 1960s, when rosenstock graduated from high school it was impractical to consider a career in photography, so he began a course in business administration at Nichols college in Dudley, massachusetts. still uncertain of a career path in 1964, he transferred to boston university, where he signed up for varied courses that appealed to him. by this time rosenstock had begun to work with a view camera, inspired by the photographs of edward weston he saw in a manhattan exhibition. he found guidance in specific technical matters by writing to ansel adams, who returned informative, encouraging letters. by his own resolve the young photographer was able to place himself within the great tradition of the twentieth-century american creative photography. boston provided exciting work opportunities to help support rosenstock’s studies. his camera skills led to freelance projects for houghton mifflin Publishers, and to assignments as an architectural photographer. Notable among his boston clients was the prestigious architectural collaborative, led by the former bauhaus and harvard professor, walter gropius. the enterprising youth also took a job in the landmark camera shop Ferranti-Dege, on massachusetts avenue in cambridge. it was there that rosenstock first heard about an upcoming local symposium offered by minor white (1908-1976). through a lifetime white had become a leading figure in american photography. he took his first photographs as a boy, continuing through college, and afterwards as an employee of the works Progress administration (wPa). During world war ii he was drafted into the army, and took part in the allied invasion of the Philippines. after his discharge, white attended columbia university, while working as curatorial assistant to beaumont Newhall at the museum of modern art. in 1946, ansel adams recruited him to teach at the california school of Fine arts. he became an advocate of adams’s Zone system, and integrated the teaching of art history and aesthetics with advanced photography. Following adams’ example, white taught how straight photography could be used to convey emotion. he also incorporated ideas from long standing personal interests in astrology and religious philosophy, especially the influences from Zen buddhism and the teachings of the sufi mystic gurdjieff. in his work and his teaching, white valued the earlier masters’ thoughtful consideration before the ground glass, and their rigorous printing methods. however also he strove for visual poetry, asserting that the camera could be a means of self-discovery. in 1952, white joined adams, beaumont and Nancy Newhall, and other photographers in the establishment of Aperture magazine, serving as its first editor. Newhall was then director at george eastman house, the museum of photography in rochester, New york, and the following year he hired white to teach there and serve as curator, maintaining its growing collection and organizing exhibitions. in 1966 he moved to the boston area to join the faculty of the massachusetts institute of technology. rosenstock set his heart on white’s costly symposium, but he was just making ends meet on a student’s budget. he found that a childhood insurance policy that his parents had purchased when he was an infant provided just enough to enroll. over six weekends in 1967, he attended the “consciousness in Photography” symposium at white’s home in arlington, massachusetts. he still taught ansel adams’s Zone system, and a repertoire of straight photography and darkroom principles that he referred to collectively as basic “craftsmanship.” a method for planning a photograph by translating the hues, forms, and light effects of a subject at hand into the monochromatic shapes and tones in a black and white print, the Zone system is a process of “previsualization.” in the field, the photographer considers how this transmutation would occur, and can use tools and techniques to facilitate and refine the plan. some of the most interesting notions of white’s teaching at this time involve his comparison of the art of the painter with that of the creative photographer. he concedes the superiority of painting as an expressive medium, since the painter makes all the choices about the conception and definition of an image, and throughout a protracted process imbues the object with his touch and personal style. For this reason a photographer must be technically skilled at using his optical and chemical tools, to analyze, deconstruct and synthesize an image, while knowingly stamping it with something distinctive of him or herself. to explore these notions further, white integrated ideas and teaching exercises from Zen buddhist meditation, the philosophy of gurdjieff, and automatic drawing exercises. it was minor white’s belief that a photographer should devote careful time and attention to previsualization. he taught that he or she should begin their work by purposely taking time to separate themselves and their creative minds from the mundane concerns and activities. once a state of clear concentration had been achieved, he advocated careful consideration of whether the image to be captured could transcend its transitory subject, and reflect some essential quality of the personality of the photographer himself. identifying the essential—or the divine aspect—of the creative process was characteristic of white’s teaching at this time. this spiritual quality of his teaching reached its height in the late 1960s. rosenstock took it to heart, and incorporated it thoroughly into his creative conception, and to this day teaches a great part of those ideals and seeks to fulfill them in his work. 9
Three Trees, Doo
Lough, County Mayo, Ireland, 1975, chromogenic print
Silver Strand, County Mayo, Ire
eland, 1980, gelatin silver print
after the seminar rosenstock offered his personal assistance to white. over the following year, he gradually progressed from an occasional volunteer to an apprentice more like Zen acolyte than office or darkroom assistant. at that time, the young photographer laid out all of his best pictures side by side in his apartment. he now recognized their limitations along with their merits, and that together they constituted a place for a new beginning. with remarkable insight and courage, he disposed of the entire oeuvre, determined to find a fresh, distinctive voice and style. rosenstock participated in white’s next workshop, “Vision and the man behind the camera.” he also began to attend a weekend study group of students who met to help white organize a book he was planning, a technical and aesthetic manual, meant to embody his life work as a teacher. rosenstock came to admire white’s own character, particularly his quiet confidence in a favorable outcome. a memorable instance of the teacher’s stolidity took place during the installation of his first solo exhibition at the carl siembab gallery in boston. rosenstock was among the crew that had mounted the mural-scaled polyptych, The Sound of One Hand Clapping on a suspended homosote panel at the front of the show. they had completed the installation, when the panel and its big pictures fell to the floor with a startling crash, shattering frames and glass. amid unspoken regrets and remonstrations, white calmly declared “i think it’s time for lunch.” after a cordial break they found the photographs unharmed, and rehung them without glass. soon afterward John sarkowski, curator for the museum of modern art, arrived to preview the show, and he immediately purchased Sound of One Hand Clapping for the permanent collection. white’s Bush, Wood and Sand, Eel Creek Dunes, Oregon (Fig. 1)— acquired by the worcester art museum at that exhibition—reflects the calm awareness of his work. the image reveals ostensibly solid objects to be things of slow transformation. clinging stubbornly to a weathered stump, a scrubby plant grows uncertainly in a dune, while the sand appears to blow and shift around it. white picks out shadows to capture the rippled surface of the sand and model its gentle contours. his exposure emphasizes its grainy quality, in contrast with the brittle, dry wood, and the leathery leaves of the living plant. all of the forms represented are part of a constantly changing continuum, transforming gradually before our eyes. by 1968, rosenstock had decided upon a fresh, not entirely willful initiative, intending to divide his energies between teaching and the practice of creative photography. after reviewing his transcript, academic counselors determined that he had enough credit to earn an associate of arts degree from boston university. he acquired his first professional quality camera, an old 8 x 10-inch Deardorf view camera, along with a single professional Dagor lens made by goerz optical company. at 270mm it was slightly wide for the instrument, but learning to compensate for its limitations provided unseen technical lessons for the artist. at about that time rosenstock also found a new mentor when he met Paul caponigro.
Figure 1. minor white, american, 1908-1976, Bush, Wood and Sand, Eel Creek Dunes, Oregon, 1966, gelatin silver print, worcester art museum, 1967.20
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Fig.2. Paul caponigro, american, born in 1932, Running Deer, Ireland, County Wicklow, Ireland, 1967, gelatin silver print, worcester art museum, bequest of kate butler Peterson, 2011.484
also self-taught with the camera and in the darkroom, caponigro perfected his technical skills in part-time jobs as a teenager in revere, massachusetts. a talented pianist, he attended the boston university college of music, planning a career as a classical performer. he was drafted into the army in 1952, and eventually found a position as a signal corps photographer in san Francisco, where he met ansel adams, and minor white. after his discharge, caponigro accompanied white to rochester to work as his assistant. they became close during crosscountry drives when they worked together on white’s summer Photographic workshops in san Francisco and Portland. in 1960 caponigro returned to boston after adams recommended him as a research advisor at the Polaroid corporation. Five years later, a guggenheim Foundation fellowship enabled him to travel in ireland and brittany to photograph monuments and landscapes relating to the history of the celtic peoples. rosenstock had become an admirer of caponigro’s work when he saw the celtic photographs exhibited at the museum of modern art (Fig. 2). Personal responses to the natural world, these technically refined photographs share a deeply felt experience with viewers. rosenstock was excited to accompany a colleague on a visit to caponigro’s westport, connecticut studio. considering their similar experiences, it is little wonder that the two photographers found an immediate rapport. better to enjoy this promising affinity, rosenstock began helping caponigro in the workshop and darkroom. eventually his assistance with specific projects became monthly trips to connecticut. he was impressed by the acuity of the photographer’s perception, and his conviction that photography can enhance the artist’s interaction with nature. when rosenstock brought his new work to the studio, caponigro put them on the music stand before his keyboard, and used them to inspire his own piano improvisations. rosenstock appreciated these sincere reactions as acknowledgment of the value of his work. among the photographers that rosenstock met in his first seminar with minor white was irene shwachman (1915-1988), who remained a friendly acquaintance in the small boston photographic community. born and raised in New york city, she made her first photographs at age twelve. she studied theater at columbia university, then took a job as a script girl in yiddish theater, cherishing dreams of being a broadway director. instead, in 1944 she married harry shwachman, a pediatrician at children’s hospital in boston. they settled in Needham, massachusetts, to raise a family, all the while continuing to take photographs. two of her works were included in the exhibition Abstraction in Photographs at the museum of modern art in 1951. with family encouragement she studied with lisette model at the New school for social research, concentrating her work on observed urban genre subjects. in this inclination she was influenced by berenice abbott, whom she helped to print and publish the glass negatives of eugène atget’s studies of Paris. back in boston, shwachman photographed the city’s west end, an area slated for demolition. these pictures were shown in a solo exhibition at the boston Public library in 1965, later presented at the New york Public library. in 1966, she joined the faculty of the school of the worcester art museum, and headed the photography program when the school moved to its new home in the higgins education wing three years later. shwachman asked rosenstock if he might take over her other adult classes at the worcester center for crafts, an independent community facility with studios and course offerings, where the museum school had operated during building construction. attracted by the facility’s darkroom and its open-ended possibilities for teaching, he moved permanently to central massachusetts in 1969.
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Congregational Church, Holden, Massachusetts, 1985, gelatin silver print
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in worcester, rosenstock evolved as a teacher, and developed a comfortable rapport with his adult students. his noteworthy ability to explain technical complexities led them to his belief that photography makes it possible for an artist to find deep personal qualities and even spiritual truths, and to share them with the viewer. the photographer was determined to reach out to his adopted community, rosenstock always made himself available to lecture or jury a show, striving to exhibit his work when and wherever possible. in 1969 he began a “sunday Night group,” modeled after white’s symposia. over the years rosenstock developed a program for these sessions, intended to enliven colleagues’ perceptions and reactions to the visual experience on both subconscious and intellectual levels. the photographers set out their work in the first portion of the evening, sitting together in silence to look carefully at the work, often to the accompaniment of soft music. this unhurried, mindful experience was intended to elicit personal intuitive responses. the later portion of the evening is given to conversation, when they share reactions to each others’ work. like white and caponigro, rosenstock struggled over how to make the process accessible to students. his mentors recommended the use of a densitometer, a device for measuring the tonal value of color saturation. however, the professional instruments are generally too expensive and technically complex for students. around 1971, rosenstock devised a visual method for estimating tone and for calibrating an individual photographer’s equipment and darkroom. though imprecise, this approach proved an accessible way of learning and using the Zone system. rosenstock’s method made his classes all the more popular, and worcester gained some recognition as a place for hobbyists to learn the technicalities of photography. he also began to take his students on field trips around New england, to experience the immersion of extended expeditions that he found inspiring and productive. in 1971 rosenstock led a group to the south of england, where they photographed the Neolithic monuments of stonehenge in wiltshire, a subject that had long fascinated him. back at home, he shared his english pictures with caponigro, who suggested that there was more of this sort of imagery to discover in ireland. so rosenstock organized his first trip to ireland in December 1971. Flying into shannon airport with no planned destination, he drove toward the coast to find a comfortable bed and breakfast in the town of westport, county mayo, as well as a helpful irish tourist board office. rosenstock explored some archaeological sites, but became more entranced by the grandeur of local land- and seascapes, which seemed inexhaustible. he extended his brief scouting trip into a jam-packed week of photography. in each of the next four years the artist returned to work in ireland, staying a week in westport and another exploring a new part of the country. rosenstock’s photographs were first exhibited in ireland in 1974, the year he began teaching at clark university in worcester. he adapted his teaching methods to younger students; often less committed to photography, and pressed for time and money, he found them receptive to ideas about thoughtful perception and creative process. as the father of a growing family, rosenstock appreciated the practical benefits of an academic position. with a mind to advancing in his teaching career, in 1976 he entered the graduate study program at goddard college in Plainfield, Vermont. his master’s thesis documented his study of portraiture, a subject for which he had little experience or confidence. to make a purposeful exploration of the subject, rosenstock felt the need for a smaller camera, more easily carried and set up, yet capable of exposures of comparable accuracy. irene shwachman sold him a 5 x 7-inch format Deardorf view camera with a 4 x 5-inch back, an instrument once owned by berenice abbott. it provided the format and scale and precision to which he was accustomed. this became his favorite camera for the next twenty years. with these new tools, rosenstock set out to create portrait photographs that, like his landscapes, transport the viewer to other, more expansive realms. the artist described his project in a thesis in the form of an excerpted journal, recording his ideas and experiences when executing a series of portraits at saint Joseph’s abbey in spencer, massachusetts, and in county mayo, ireland. the account includes technical discussion, and personal musings over concepts from hindu scripture and sufi philosophy. an introspective spirit pervaded rosenstock’s project, and though he selected fascinating models, his work and report sometimes concentrate as much on the photographer himself as his discipline or subjects.
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Morning Mist, San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy, 1994, gelatin silver print
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in 1975 rosenstock led his first “irish Photographic workshops” teaching programs in the field open to photographers of all levels and formats. he was among the first to offer such teaching expeditions, providing instruction and direction to his students, along with the opportunity to work alongside him, all in the context of a group adventure. rosenstock pioneered the genre of photographic teaching expeditions, an industry that has continued to grow worldwide ever since. his photograph Three Trees, Doo Lough, County Mayo (Pl.1) was taken during a teaching trek in 1975. a van carried the photographer and his students to the lakeside, where they spread out over the meadow each to find their own prospect. Doo lough is nestled in the Partry mountains, but sea breezes usually blow up killary harbor to wind around the slopes and trouble the lake’s surface. “on this rare day when there was not a ripple to be seen,” rosenstock recalled. “the sun came out at just the right angle, reflecting the mweelrea peaks in the glassy surface of the water.” he quickly set up his own camera to capture this otherworldly image, providing his students with a timely lesson on how a photographer should remain open to serendipity, and to recognition of what the French master henri cartier-bresson called “the decisive moment.” usually rosenstock packed 100 sheets of film for a two-week trip to ireland. the fact that he often carried twenty with him home unexposed, reflects the careful selectivity of his creative process, and his chief focus on the students. in 1977 rosenstock completed his master of arts degree in photography, assuring the progress of his academic career. ironically, however, by this time he had become more compelled by teaching in the field to surrender himself to the classroom. he led three workshops to ireland in 1977, and the following year that number doubled. in the spring of 1980, rosenstock’s irish workshops were included in a discussion of photography vacations in the travel section of The New York Times. more than a gratifying acknowledgment, this publicity fueled the popularity of his programs, and over the next several seasons he presented between seven and ten irish workshops from march through october. in 1979 rosenstock began renting a house to lodge his students, enabling him to increase the programs’ duration from ten to fourteen days. rosenstock had become increasingly devoted to ireland, captivated by its people, culture, and natural beauty. Silver Strand (Pl.2) exemplifies the wonders he found there and how he worked thoughtfully to communicate them. one day while walking alone on the beach he noticed the sun glinting off wet sand, reflecting patterns left by the outgoing tide. when he set up his camera he found that an overcast day provided the opportunity for a straightforward exposure. he fitted a red filter to increase local contrast and add definition to the leaden sky. to accentuate detail, rosenstock adjusted the shutter speed one stop slower than the light meter indicated, then opened the aperture a half stop to ƒ22½. back at home in his darkroom he darkened the perimeter of the image with an “edge burning” technique, further to direct the viewer’s eye to the center of interest in his composition. in 1982 rosenstock purchased hillcrest house, in kilmeena parish a few miles outside of westport. the rambling old country cottage was spacious enough to provide eight bedrooms for students. a resident housekeeper–cook maintains hillcrest house for rosenstock and his parade of guests, and a caretaker also chauffeurs students in a van to favorite destinations throughout county mayo. in 1985, when the photographer submitted work to the Dublin magazine Ireland of the Welcomes, its new editor Peter harbitson suggested that the gabriel rosenstock’s writing might make a fitting complement to his imagery. this irish poet, versatile author, television personality, translator and linguist, responded enthusiastically to the photographs, and employed them in his own consideration of irish language and culture. the two artists who coincidentally share a surname became cordial friends who occasionally publish, exhibit, and lecture together. Notable among their collaborations is the namesake of the present project, Hymn to the Earth, a book pairing the photographs with original haiku inspired by each of them. gabriel rosenstock taught this verse form at the Schule für Dichtung, the academy for poetry in Vienna, and wrote two books on haiku as a way of life. For the present catalogue he generously contributed an original haiku inspired by his friend’s photograph Stone Circle at Sheeffry (frontispiece).
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Noon Shadows, San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy, 1995, gelatin silver print
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Monks' Robes, Abbey of Sant' Antimo, Pienza, Italy, 2000, chromogenic print
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Viewers often suspect that ron rosenstock selects his landscape subjects for the supernatural presence that pervades them. in fact, the opposite is true, for it is his patient, mindful observation that reveals extraordinary imagery wherever he chooses to concentrate. rosenstock’s photographs are meant to be unspecific and timeless, not documents of place or incident. For example, in 1985 he joined a project sponsored by the massachusetts cultural council to present scenes from across the commonwealth. he wanted his contribution to celebrate the rich history of his adopted home, and reflect the fulfillment of living there. he explored the few blocks around his house in holden, with its ancient trees and historic buildings. in 1741, residents voted to have the gospel preached in their recently-formed town. they called the reverend Joseph Davis to join their community, and eight years later his assembly began construction of the Congregational Church (Pl.3), on land donated by John hancock. rosenstock captured the clean lines and lightflooded space, conveying the purity of heart and purpose that the forefathers sought. rather than the church facade, altar, or pulpit, he focused his camera on the pews, where generations of his neighbors have shared sabbaths and holidays. their noble sincerity and community spirit is something still cherished in New england, and rosenstock manifested them in this uncluttered chantry of light. in 1993 the photographer expanded his workshops to italy, in two and three week travel seminars to tuscany and the Veneto. the walled medieval hill town of san gimignano in the province of siena became one of his favorite teaching destinations. From the twelfth to the fourteenth centuries, extended local families throughout tuscany built tower houses as refuge and defense against their rivals. as one clan improved its attack position with a higher turret, potential adversaries followed suit and a whole town gradually became a forest of tall, slender bastions. over centuries other communes grew into cities with new political systems, and their towers were razed, but in many remain in sleepy san gimignano, relics of a romantic past. when rosenstock takes students to this evocative site he always encourages them to concentrate on the sunlight. on one extraordinary morning in 1994, he did just that by focusing his camera away from town buildings and over the fields covered in Morning Mist (Pl.2). wooded hills bristling with distant villas and castelli emerge from foggy billows. rosenstock skillfully lined up rows of vines in the fields below to lead toward a distant vanishing point as in a renaissance painting, and placed a dartlike cypress in the central foreground. From this historic lookout, the gradual revelation of light creates a provocative analogy to the passage of time. rosenstock’s street view of Shadows, Pienza, (Pl.4) shows how he concentrates on natural effects when photographing manmade subjects. “there is no better place,” he observed, “to observe patterns of sunlight and shadow than the small winding streets of italy.” the bold, contrasting tones create a balanced cubist composition, which also draws the attention into depth, and an open garden along the lane. alternating lozenges of line and shade provide an interesting counterpoint to the herringbone paving bricks, and invites us to notice the contrast of textures. rosenstock found another evocation of history near the tuscan town of montalcino. according to legend the emperor charlemagne fell ill while passing through in the year 781. a monk cured him with a concoction of local wine and herbs, and in gratitude the emperor founded the abbey of sant’antimo at a nearby site christened castelnuovo dell’abate. that community flourishes today. in 1999 rosenstock and his group visited the monastery, and saw how the monks live their lives, celebrating their devotions in medieval spaces pervaded by the scent of incense and strains of antiphonal chant. while being ushered through the living quarters he made a single hurried shot of some Monks’ Robes (Pl.5) hanging in a passage. when rosenstock first printed the exposure he was disappointed. he began to experiment with revisualizing the uncharacteristically hasty shot. gradually the photographer found his way to the formal and tonal balance. he shortened the height of the image, cropped one of four hanging garments from the left side, and cut away a shelf above them where prayer books were stacked. these changes had the effect of bringing the robes closer, and leading the viewer to concentrate more on the monastic life, rather than the activity of getting ready for chapel. in the darkroom, rosenstock burned back shaded passages, heightening the tonal contrast and accentuating the plastic quality of the draperies. in this effect, again, he took his cue from renaissance art and the sculptural qualities in the work of tuscan painters from giotto to masaccio.
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in 1995 the westport town council of county mayo named rosenstock an honorary citizen. over the next five years, he collected favorite irish views for his book The Light of Ireland, with an introduction by Paul caponigro, the first publication from his private imprint, silver strand Press. rosenstock also led his first photographic workshop to Peru in 2000, where he and his students visited the andes, the incan ruins of machu Picchu and the ramparts of cuzco. the classroom could not compare to such high adventure and exotic subjects, so in 2001 rosenstock resigned from clark university to concentrate on leading photographic workshops. that year, on his first expedition to New Zealand, he and some of his companions photographed the country’s highest mountain mount cook, or aoraki, named for one of three sons of rakinui, the sky Father of māori legend. to reach this prospect they packed their equipment for two hours on a challenging trek with rope swing bridges over raging torrents. when finally the photographer set up his view camera across the glacial lake, he captured a fleeting shadow that picked out the dark foreground shapes to anchor the composition. as the photographer traveled more frequently and more broadly, he acquired a smaller tachiera lightweight view camera. by this time he was able to afford more normal, wide, and long lenses, which provided new versatility. rosenstock also first visited morocco in 2001, and its equatorial climate, desert landscape, and welcoming people made it an attractive teaching destination. one of his most unusual creative experiences occurred on a visit to the hassan ii mosque, the largest in morocco boasting the world’s tallest minaret. Named for the king, it was constructed to celebrate the monarch’s sixtieth birthday in 1989, but was not completed until 1993. when rosenstock visited the lavish mosque, he aimed his camera up into the arches ornamenting a receding sequence of doorways, and was startled to see the inverted image seem to shift actively before him (Pl.8). “the feeling is indescribable,” he recalled, “when i receive such a gift in the view screen, and can make a photograph that goes beyond my consciousness.” he composed the image in the most straightforward manner, simply framing within the ground glass. only in the darkroom did the photographer become aware of the spatial oscillation, and the amusing way that the pendant lamp served as gyrostabilizer. in 2004, rosenstock recognized that so many of his students were working with color, he should know processes and its challenges to be a better teacher. he began working with a canon 5D, 35mm format, single lens reflex camera which he used for both color and black-and-white photographs. he started to exhibit his color photographs in 2005, and two years later published Journeys, a collection of color work from foreign destinations. in 2009 rosenstock progressed to the study of digital photography, prompted once again by the needs of his students. he and his contemporaries were challenged by the greatest technical shift in the history of photography. For rather than optically capturing a latent image in the chemical reactions on film or paper, digital photographic systems gather reflected photons and translate them into electrons. stored electronically in computer circuits, these data can be collated and manipulated, and packaged in pixels—or picture elements—to illuminate a minute area in an electronic display screen, or to be printed on a physical surface. Digital photography is simpler and its product can be analogous, but it is so different conceptually that masters experienced in a photographic art that combines craft and aesthetics often find it unsympathetic. Paul caponigro, for example, insistently continues to shoot 5 x 7 film. “it took several years for me to feel comfortable with the new technology,” rosenstock said. “i had to learn to make it my own, and then use it my way.” it has made adams’s Zone system obsolete, for tones and values can be extensively and easily adjusted in the computer. today, rosenstock feels that he can accomplish any task does in the darkroom at the keyboard of his computer. to produce traditional prints on paper from the digital files of his exposures, he turns them over to a professional lab—autumn Digital color in worcester—that employs sophisticated and very costly equipment to create chromogenic prints.
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Arches, Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco, 2005, gelatin silver print
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Cloud over the Elbe, Czech Republic, 2010, chromogenic print 25
rosenstock went on to explore infrared photography in 2009, when digital technology simplified this fascinating process. the manual for the precision leica handheld camera, published in 1935, has detailed chapters on infrared photography written for serious amateurs. minor white was among the creative photographers who used the process, but rosenstock always found the process difficult and expensive. Digital electronic sensors have made the it more accessible. with this technology, image sensors in the camera-back pick up segments of the light spectrum in wavelengths ranging from about 700 to 900 nanometers. some birds, insects, and other animals can see this light, but human eyes cannot. rosenstock had a canon mark i single lens reflex camera converted for black and white digital use only. Cloud over the Elbe (Pl.9) gives a sense of the magical effects that the process provides to a creative landscapist. while bright highlights reflect from the most delicate wisps of cloud and thin leaves and grasses, other areas of deep sky appear darker than we can sense. considering its remarkable geology, it is little wonder that iceland became another of rosenstock’s favorite places to work. in January 2011 he visited gullfoss—or “golden Falls”—a natural wonder on the hvíá river in the southwest of the island country. after plunging over three stepped falls, the river disappears from the surface, dropping into a 100-foot crevice perpendicular to the torrent’s flow. the photographer captured his digital photograph Ice Forms, Gulfoss (Pl.10), from below and opposite the surface cascades. radiating from their torrents and mists, an enormous ice sculpture seems to creep along the frigid arctic ground. Placing his camera on the ground, rosenstock created a delicate exposure that reveals the weathered and layered ice, contrasting its textures with cloudy sky, water, rock, and frosty leaves. this is a nature of delicate, but robust power. through mastering a new technology and sharing his knowledge actively with a new generation of photographers, rosenstock continues to perpetuate his own creative voice. Distinctive, individual and strong, after half a century it has retains many characteristics of the style of minor white. Nature still draws rosenstock most profoundly, and he delights in the its array of form, texture, tone and spatial atmosphere. with matured confidence, he continues to work deliberately and mindfully. he has honed a knack for choosing subjects in which viewers can lose themselves, and discover their own spirit.
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Reflection, Mount Cook, New Zealand, 2001, gelati
in silver print
c h ro N o l o gy 1943 1965-68 1966-67 1966-68 1967-70 1967 1968 1969-80 1969 1969-72 1969-71 1970 1971 1972-5 1973 1974 1976 1977 1982 1985
1988 1990-93 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 2000 2001 2004 2009
born in monticello, New york. attended boston university, earning an associate of arts degree. worked as a darkroom technician at boston university, and at Ferranti-Dege camera in cambridge. worked as a freelance photographer for houghton mifflin Publishers. worked as an architectural photographer for acorn structures, kubitz and Pepi, and the architects’ collaborative. Participated in the workshop, “Vision and the man behind the camera,” conducted by minor white. Participated in white’s “consciousness in Photography” study group. taught adult courses in beginning, intermediate and advanced photography, at the worcester craft center, massachusetts. First solo exhibition “a way to look at things,” presented at the worcester craft center. taught advanced Photography at Dana hall school, wellesley, massachusetts. assisted and studied with Paul caponigro, westport, connecticut. began the “sunday Night group,” weekly gatherings of independent advanced photographers who meet seasonally to share their work, and discuss ideas and professional issues. at caponigro’s encouragement, made first visit to ireland. Finding a comfortable bed and breakfast, and the informative irish tourist board in westport, county mayo, extended his visit to a week. Visited ireland to photograph each year, staying one week in westport and another exploring a new part of ireland. began teaching Photography at clark university, worcester. First solo exhibition in ireland mounted at thoor ballylee museum, gort, county galway. led “irish Photographic workshops,” two-week programs for photographers of all levels and formats, in westport, county mayo. awarded master of arts degree in photography from goddard college, enabling him to secure a permanent teaching position at clark university. established hillcrest house facility at wesport, to accommodate several students at a time for residence seminars. met the irish poet, linguist, and television personality, gabriel rosenstock, who began to write verse to complement the photographer’s work. Published in magazines and books, such collaborations also expanded into shared exhibitions as their friendship grew. led Photographic workshops in kenya and west africa. led annual three-week Photographic workshops to ecuador and the amazon basin, and to the galapagos islands. expanded Photographic workshops to italy, chiefly in tuscany and the Veneto. these two-to-three week travel seminars for photographers of all levels and formats, were presented supplementary to ongoing irish programs. began leading Photographic workshop tours to New Zealand. the westport town council named rosenstock an honorary citizen of westport, county mayo. began leading Photographic workshop tours to New Zealand. began leading Photographic workshop tours to Nepal and india. led Photographic workshop tour to the american southwest. Produced The Light of Ireland, a book of photographs with introduction by Paul caponigro, the first publication from his personal imprint, silver strand Press. led Photographic workshop to Peru. resigns from clark university to concentrate on leading photographic workshop expeditions. began leading tours to morocco. began exploring color photography anew to become a more effective teacher. carried a relatively portable 35mm single-lensreflex camera on expanding world itinerary. two years later published Journeys, a book presenting a selection of this work. began to explore digital photography. also began working in infrared photography, and had a camera converted to digital infrared use. 29
s e l e c t e D e x h i b i t i o Ns Light 7: An Exhibition on a Theme, organized by minor white, hayden gallery, massachusetts institute of technology, cambridge, 1968 A Way To Look at Things: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock, solo exhibition, worcester craft center, 1969 Fourteen Photographers, schenectady art museum, schenectady, New york, 1969 Ron Rosenstock, 8 x 10 Contacts, organized by minor white, solo exhibition, creative Photography gallery, massachusetts institute of technology, cambridge, 1973 Worcester Area Exhibition, organized by stephen b. Jareckie, worcester art museum, 1970 Members’ Exhibit, Friends of Photography, carmel, california. 1976 Photographs by Ron Rosenstock, carpenter center, harvard university, cambridge, 1977 Photographs by Ron Rosenstock, Photo graphic workshop, New canaan, connecticut, 1979 Ireland, Photographs by Ron Rosenstock, clark university, worcester, 1980 Photographs by Ron Rosenstock, gallery of Photography, Dublin, ireland, 1980 Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), Darkroom gallery, Denver, 1981 Polaroid Collection Recent Acquisitions, clarence kennedy gallery, cambridge, massachusetts, 1981 New Work: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), Front street gallery, wilmington, Delaware, 1982 Ireland, ledel gallery, New york, 1982 Ireland: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), irish tourist board, New york, 1984 Landscape II: Cole Weston, Lilliane DeCock, Ron Rosenstock, images gallery, cincinnati, ohio, 1985 Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), walt kuhn gallery, cape Neddick, maine, 1985 Photographs of Ireland by Ron Rosenstock )solo exhibition(, gordon library, worcester Polytechnic institute, 1986 Fifteen Years of Ireland in Black and White: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), grace o’malley art gallery, westport, county mayo, ireland, 1987 Trees Are Poems That The Earth Writes To The Sky: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), Newton library gallery, massachusetts, 1988 African Rhythm/Irish Cadence: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), ledel gallery, New york, 1989 Photographs of Ireland by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), the gallery at atlantic Filmworks, hamden, connecticut, 1990 Caponigro/Rosenstock/Stettner, Neikrug gallery, New york, 1990 Fools’ Gold, bridge mills gallery, galway, ireland, 1990 Studies in Light: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock )solo exhibition(, Fitchburg art museum, 1991 Photographs by Ron Rosenstock )solo exhibition(, geoghegan gallery of Photography, galway, ireland, 1993 Ron Rosenstock, Photographer (solo exhibition), bryant library gallery, roslyn, New york, 1994 Sanctuary: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), worcester center for crafts gallery, 1995 Glimpses of a Secret Ireland: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), arabella grand hotel gallery, Frankfurt, germany, 1996 One Earth: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), center for contemporary arts, abilene, texas, 1997 Green: A Photo Essay in Black and White (solo exhibition), altamira contemporary arts and crafts gallery, islip, New york, 1999 Photographic Perspectives, the lavitt gallery, cork, ireland, 2002 One Earth (solo exhibition), Jaffrey civic center gallery, Jaffrey, New hampshire, 2003 Hymn To The Earth: Photos by Ron Rosenstock, Haiku by Gabriel Rosenstock, custom house studio, westport, county mayo, ireland, 2004 “Art In Embassies Program,” american embassy, kuala, lumpur, malaysia., 2005 Hymn To The Earth: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), hallmark museum of contemporary Photography, turners Falls, massachusetts, 2007 Journeys: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock (solo exhibition), Vermont center for Photography, brattleboro, 2008 Fire And Ice: Images by Ron Rosenstock, boston, Panopticon gallery, 2008 30
Ice Forms, Gulfoss, Iceland,
2011, chromogenic print
s e l ec t e D P u b l i c at i o Ns minor white, “light7: Photographs from an exhibition on a theme,” Aperture, Volume 14, February 1968, p.9. estelle gualnick, “when collection challenges the imagination,” Boston Sunday Globe, may 25, 1969, p.22. allan Porter, “workshop,” Camera Magazine, Vol.48, June 1970, pp.36, 37, 40, 46. allan Porter, “a walk on the mild side,” Camera Magazine, Vol.50, april 1971, pp.20-21, 25, 38. allan Porter, “Naked earth,” Camera Magazine, Vol.51, July 1972, pp.14-23. ron rosenstock, “Photography—the Portrait,” master of arts thesis, goddard college, Dudley, massachusetts, 1976. ron rosenstock, “studies in light,” Ireland of the Welcomes, Vol.28, July/august 1979, pp.30-32. irving J. Pasternak, “some ‘learning’ Vacations for the Photographer,” The New York Times, march 30, 1980, p.D-41. The New York Times, “the beauty of ireland in Focus,” sunday, December 11, 1983, p.x-3. Jack schneider, “Photo workshop Focuses on ireland,” Chicago Sun-Times, December 1, 1985, p.6. mary ann wells, “on location: the irish Photographic workshop, The Rangefinder, Vol.36, april 1987, pp.48-53. Doris o’keefe, “the Perfect blend: studying Photography in ireland,” (Worcester) Sunday Telegram, January 25, 1987, p.10D. george r. French, “rosenstock’s Photos allow Quiet Nature to show off,” (Worcester) Evening Gazette, July 31, 1987, p.6. shelley Finn, “making time stand still in Photographs,” Wachusett People, august 17, 1987, pp.6-7. sonia kelly, “a black and white world,” (Westport) Country Living, June 26, 1988, p.5. christine s. cozzens, “exploring ireland’s achill island,” The New York Times, June 26, 1988, pp.xx-1, 21, 39. “ireland to the Vineyard: two islands and a link Formed by sea and coast and the mists of rain,” Vineyard Gazette, may 26, 1989, p.b-10. Jeanette haien, “the wondrous world of connemara,” The New York Times, July 15 1990, pp.xx-15, 16. suzanne cassiday, “the land of connemara,” The New York Times, July 15 1990, p.5:1. kit Pyne, “ron rosenstock: Photographing ireland,” View Camera, Vol.3, may/June 1991, interview, pp.3-10. leon Nigrosh, “Feasting on Dreams,” Worcester Magazine, November 6, 1991, p.13. Worth Magazine, august/september 1992, pp.128-129. Peter harbison, “kindred spirits: Poems and Photographs by unrelated artists ron and gabriel rosenstock,” Ireland of the Welcomes, Vol.42, march-april 1993 pp.26-29. seamus uidhir Fánaíocht I gContae Mhaigh Eo (Rambles in County Mayo), with photographs by ron rosenstock, Dublin, an gum, 1994. Frank magiera, “ron rosenstock’s emerald isle in black and white,” Worcester Sunday Telegram, april 2 1995, Datebook section pp.11,15. leon Nigrosh, “Near and Far: caponigro keeps his Distance while rosenstock rushes in,” The Worcester Phoenix, april 14, 1995, p.15. leon Nigrosh, “years collide: the life and times of holden Photographer ron rosenstock, ” The Worcester Phoenix, December 15, 1995, p.13. thomas e. kennedy, “ron rosenstock, Photographs of ireland,” The (Fairleigh Dickinson University) Literary Review, Vol.40, summer 1997, cover, pp.650-654. ron rosenstock, “capturing the spirit of the world,” View Camera, Vol.10, July/august 1997, pp.1, 22-28.
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abigail Foerstner, “the art of self-Publishing: ron rosenstock, the light of ireland,” View Camera, Vol.13, November/December 2000, pp.10-11. “ron rosenstock,” Photonet, Vol.22, January 2001, pp.50-57. ron rosenstock, “learning the art and craft of black and white Photography,” View Camera, Vol.15, march/april 2002, pp.14-19. ron rosenstock, “the art and craft of black and white: From test to Final Print,” View Camera, Vol.17, January/February 2004, pp.50-51. ron rosenstock, “the art and craft of black and white: Noon shadows, san gimignano, italy,” View Camera, Vol.17, July/august 2004, pp.48-49. ron rosenstock, “the art of black and white: sunset at sheeffry, county mayo, ireland, 1985,” View Camera, Vol.17, september/october 2004, pp.56-57. ron rosenstock, “be still with yourself,” View Camera, Vol.18, march/april 2005, pp.54-56. ron rosenstock, “learning the art and craft of black and white Photography: the gavins at Doo lough,” View Camera, Vol.18, January/February 2005, pp.48-50. ron rosenstock, “learning the art of black and white Photography,” View Camera, Vol.18, march/april 2005, pp.54-56. ron rosenstock, “monks’ robes, abbey of sant’animo, 1999,” View Camera, Vol.18, may/June 2005, pp.60-62. ron rosenstock, “the charles bridge, Prague,” View Camera, Vol.19, January/February 2006, pp.40-42. ron rosenstock, “milan Duomo,2005,” View Camera, Vol.19, march/april 2006, pp.52-54. ron rosenstock and Donna Duffault, “silver Problem, Digital solution,” View Camera, Vol.19, may/June 2006, pp.64-66. brian goslow, “through the lens: ron rosenstock,” Artscope, Vol.2, July/august 2007, p.31. J. Fatima martins, “hymn to the earth: Photographs by ron rosenstock,” Artscope, Vol.6, January/February 2012, pp.50-51.
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e xhibitioN checklist 1
Poulnabrone Dolmen, County Clare, Ireland, 1972, gelatin silver print
2
Burrishoole Abbey, County Mayo, Ireland, 1972, gelatin silver print
3
Murrisk Abbey and Croagh Patrick, County Mayo, Ireland, 1972, gelatin silver print
4
Stream Reflections, Princeton, Massachusetts, 1974, gelatin silver print
5
Three Trees, Doo Lough, County Mayo, Ireland, 1975, chromogenic print
6
Thatched Cottage, County Mayo, Ireland, 1975, gelatin silver print
7
Three Falls, County Kerry, Ireland, 1976, gelatin silver print
8
Muckross Abbey, County Kerry, Ireland, 1976, gelatin silver print
9
Bunowen Beach, County Mayo, Ireland, 1979, gelatin silver print
10 Silver Strand, County Mayo, Ireland, 1980, gelatin silver print 11 Stone Wall and Tree, County Clare, Ireland, 1982, gelatin silver print 12 Congregational Church, Holden, Massachusetts, 1985, gelatin silver print 13 Sunset at Sheeffry, County Mayo, Ireland, 1985, chromogenic print 14 Sheeffry Wood, County Mayo, Ireland, 1986, gelatin silver print 15 Stone Circle, Sheeffry Hills, County Mayo, Ireland, 1986, gelatin silver print 16 Fallen Tree, Partry Mountains, County Mayo, Ireland, 1986, gelatin silver print 17 Carrigahowley Castle, County Mayo, Ireland, 1987, gelatin silver print 18 Cobble Quarry, Vinalhaven, Maine, 1988, gelatin silver print 19 Light Shed, Amboseli, Kenya, 1989, gelatin silver print 20 Leda and the Swan, Westport Estate, County Mayo, 1989, gelatin silver print 21 Glencar Waterfall, County Sligo, Ireland, 1990, gelatin silver print 22 Tide Pools, Downpatrick Head, County Mayo, Ireland, 1992, gelatin silver print 23 Dry Leaves, Amazon Basin, Ecuador, 1992, gelatin silver print 24 Dun Aengus, Innishmore, Aran Islands, County Galway, Ireland, 1995, gelatin silver print 25 Torre Guelfa Interior, Florence, Italy, 1995, gelatin silver print 26 Morning Mist, San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy, 1994, gelatin silver print 27 Lough Carra, County Mayo, Ireland, 1995, gelatin silver print 28 Noon Shadows, San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy, 1995, gelatin silver print 29 Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, 1996, gelatin silver print 30 Swayambhunath, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1996, gelatin sliver print 31 Castello di Meleto, Tuscany, Italy, 1998, gelatin silver print 32 Street Lights, San Marco, Venice, Italy, 1999, gelatin silver print 33 Monks’ Robes, Abbey of Sant’ Antimo, Pienza, Italy, 2000, chromogenic print 34 Reflection, Mount Cook, New Zealand, 2001, gelatin silver print 35 Christina’s World Revisited, Cushing, Maine, 2001, gelatin silver print 36 Stovepipe Wells Dunes, Death Valley, California, 2004, gelatin silver print 37 Duomo, Milan, Italy, 2005, gelatin silver print 38 Arches, Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco, 2005, gelatin silver print 39 Cloud and Tree, Atlas Mountains, Morocco, 2009, chromogenic print 40 Cloud over the Elbe, Czech Republic, 2010, chromogenic print 41 Stone Circle at Sheeffry, County Mayo, 2010, chromogenic print 42 Ice Forms, Gulfoss, Iceland, 2011, chromogenic print
a c k N owl e D g e m e N t s Published on the occasion of the exhibition Hymn to the Earth: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock at the worcester art museum, this catalogue was made possible by cutler capital management and cutler associates. the museum and the photographer are grateful to mel cutler and his organization for their generous assistance, particularly michael Donovan, David grenier, and rod shaffert. special thanks are due to Victoria and Fred mulligan for the igniting spark and continued devotion to the project. we are grateful to gabriel rosenstock for his elegant verse, and concept for the title. the catalogue was designed by kim Noonan, with supplementary photography by cathy rosenstock and steve briggs. anne greene prepared the photographs for exhibition. ron rosenstock would like to acknowledge the enduring support and encouragement of his wife cathy, and of his mother, the late eva rosenstock. “i have numerous friends,” he writes, “who have been of enormous help to me over many years, and i wish to thank each and every one of them.”
cover image: Sunset at Sheeffry, County Mayo, Ireland, 1985, chromogenic print
wo rc e s t e r a rt mus eu m |
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Fifty-five salisbury street | worcester, ma 01609 | 508.799.4406
Hymn to the Earth: Photographs by Ron Rosenstock 1
Dec 15, 2011 – mar 18, 2012