MARIANA COOK

MARIANACOOK,thelastprotgofAnselAdams,isbestknownforherintimatecharacterstudiesofpeopleboth inandoutofthepubliceye.Herphotographsareheldinnumerousinstitutionalandprivatecollections,including theMetropolitanMuseumofArtandtheMuseumofModernArtinNewYorkCity,theNationalGalleryandthe VictoriaandAlbertMuseuminLondon,theBibliothqueNationaleandtheMusedArtModerneinParis,aswell astheJ.PaulGettyMuseuminLosAngeles,theMuseumofFineArtsinHouston,theBostonMuseumofFineArts, andtheNationalPortraitGalleryinWashington,D.C.HerpreviouspublicationsincludethemonographManhattan IslandtoMySelf,andthemuchacclaimedportraitbooks,FathersandDaughters,MothersandSons,Generations ofWomen,Couples,FacesofScience,andMathematicians.In2007,shedepartedfromherportraitworkwithClose atHand,acollectionofstilllifes,landscapes,andlightabstractions.Mostrecently,shepublishedStoneWalls: PersonalBoundaries,whichpairsherinspiredphotographsofbeautifullyconstructeddrystonewallsfromallover theworldwithessayschartingtheirhistory.StoneWallswasfeaturedintheNewYorkTimesandhailedasa remarkabledesignstorybytheInternationalHeraldTribune.ShelivesinNewYorkCitywithherhusbandand daughter. AlongNorthwallofDiningRoom Eachapproximately4x4mattedto15x12 Gelatinsilverprintsonmounts Signed,titled,dated&numberedineditionsof9

Mushroom,Berkeley,CA, 25March2001,12:20pm 47/16x41/8 Edition#1of9

SproutingOnion,NYC, 21April2001,2:25pm 41/4x41/8 Edition#2of9

Leeks,Basel,Switzerland, 14June,1999,4:45pm 41/8x37/8 Edition#1of9

Fennel,NYC, 16March1999,1:00pm 45/16x315/16 Edition#1of9

BoscPear,NYC, WhitePeach,Basel,Switzerland 17December2000,3:00om16June2001,6:10pm 41/4x315/16 41/4x41/8 Edition#2of9 Edition#2of9

CubanellePepper,NYC 11April2000,4:00pm 315/16x51/16 Edition#3of9

AlongEastWallofDiningRoom Eachmattedandframedtoapprox.47x42 Gelatinsilverprintsonmounts Signed,titled,dated&numberedineditionsof6

Oyster,NYC, Egg,NYC, 10October2001,2:10pm 23September1999,5:10pm 36highx341/4wide 36highx343/4"wide Edition#1of6 Edition#4of6 AlongEastWallofDiningRoom Eachapprox.36x32mattedandframedtoapprox.47x42 Gelatinsilverprintsonmounts Signed,titled,dated&numberedineditionsof6

ShadRoe,NYC, 24April2000,6:05pm 36highx293/4"wide Edition#2of6

RhineRiver,Basel,Switzerland, 13June2001,9:45am 36highx351/2wide Edition#4of6

BirdsNest,Chilmark,MA, 28July2001,2:40pm 36highx331/4wide Edition#1of

WestWallofDiningRoom

SeaWall,Blackhead,Burren,Ireland Gelatinsilverprintonmount Approx.36x32mattedandframedto approx.47x42 Signed,titled,dated&edition#1of6 EastWallofPrivateDiningRoom

ModernWallinSpring,Froggatt,Derbyshire,England Approx.49or54squaremattedandframedto approx.56or62square Gelatinsilverprintsonmount Signed,titled,dated&#2withineditionof6 SouthWallofPrivateDiningRoom

Clouds,LambertsCove,WestTisbury,MA, 14July1999,4:05pm Gelatinsilverprintonmount Approx.15x15mattedandframedto30x24 EntrytoBathroom

Hazelnuts,NYC, 13May1999,4:40pm Gelatinsilverprintonmount Approx.15x15mattedandframedto30x24 BytheBar

ToiletandOrchid Gelatinsilverprintonmount Approx.36x32mattedandframedto approx.47x42 Signed,titled,dated&edition#1of6

BlindChicken,Kent,CT,19February1999,11A.M. Gelatinsilverprintonmount. 36highx321/2wide,mattedandframedto approx.47x42

Signed,titled,dated&edition#2of6

MARIANACOOKPHOTOANECDOTES
AllthephotographsatNEGhavebeenmadewithamediumformatcamera(eitheraHasselbladoraRollei).Thenegativesare2 inchessquare.Iuseconventionalsilvergelatinfilm.TheprintsaremadeonfiberbasedAgfamulticontrastpaperandtheyareall seleniumtoned. ToiletandOrchid(1980):Theimageisadoubleexposure,madebyaccidentinCaliforniain1980.IwasvisitingAnselAdamsinhis homeinCarmelwhenImadeaphotographoftheirtoiletintheverysmallskylitpowderroomwithmyHasselbladcamera.The Hasselbladisauniquecamerabecausethebackofthecameracanberemoved.Asaportraitphotographer,Ifindthisveryuseful becauseIcansimplyremoveonebackandreplaceitwithanother.Inthisinstance,whenIreloadedmyfilm,Iforgottoreplacethe rollofexposedfilmthatwasinthebackonthecamerabody.WhenInextchosetophotographoneofVirginiasorchidsinCarmel, ImadeoneexposureandquicklyrealizedthatIhadntadvancedthefilmfromitslastexposedframeofthetoilet,sotheexposure oftheorchidwassuperimposed.Itissheerluckthattheimageremainstruetoaclassicalwayofseeing. BlindChicken:OurneighborinConnecticuthadafewdozenchickens.Henevercleanedhishenhousesotherewereinteresting cobwebsonthewindows.Ithoughttheymightmakeagoodphotograph.Onemorning,aswewerechatting,Earlpickeduponeof thechickensandexplainedthatshehadtobekeptseparatefromtheothersbecauseshewasblindandwouldntseethefeed whenhethrewitintothemaincoop.Theotherchickenswouldgettoitfirstandtheblindchickenwouldstarve.Imadethis portraitofthespecialchickenwhileEarlheldherinhisarms. Mushroom:IfoundthismushroomatChezPanisseinBerkeley.IthinkitlookslikeanAfricandancerbutthatsmyassociation. Leeks:IfoundtheleeksatanoutsidemarketinBasel,Switzerland.Iputtheminaglassandphotographedtheminmyhotelroom. Egg:Halfwaythrough1999whenIdbegunmyonepictureperdayproject,Ibrokemyfootbadly.Becauseofthis,Icouldntwalk aroundthecitytophotograph.Ihadtochoosesubjectscloseby.OnedayIopenedthefridgeandwasmovedbythisegg. Oyster(October10,2001):After9/11,manyphotographerswenttotheWorldTradeCentersitetomakepictures.Iwastoo frightened.MyfatherhaddiedfiveyearsearlierandIrememberheusedtosay,theworldisyouroyster.Withtheattackonthe city,InolongerfeltthesafetyandfreedomIdtakenforgranted.Toreconcilethechange,Idecidedtheworldmightnolongerbe myoysterbutanoystercouldbemyoyster.Iwenttothefishmarketandboughtadozenoysters.WhenItookacloselookatthe oystersathome,therewasonlyonethatinspiredme.Imadethisphotograph. CubanellePepper:IalwaysthinkofarecliningfigurewhenIlookatthispicture.OraHenryMooresculpture. SeaWall,Burren,Ireland:Thispicturecanbefoundinmybook,StoneWalls:PersonalBoundaries.Theviewerseesajetty protrudingintothesea.MyguideplacedstonesontopofapieceofwallwhereIcouldstandatahighervantagepoint.Thepileof rockswasprecarious.ItsamiraclemytripodandIdidnttumbleoff. ModernWallinSpring,Derbyshire,England:Builtonasteepincline,itsunlikelythishillwasusedforfarming.Amodernwall woulddatefromthe19thcenturyaftertheEnclosureActof1805whencommunallandswerepartitionedandclaimedby individualowners.Wallswereoftenbuiltfornootherreasonthanasastatementofprivateownership. Clouds,LambertsCove,MarthasVineyard:Whileatthebeachwithmylittledaughter,Iturnedmycameratothesky. Hazelnuts:Awonderfulyoungmanusedtocookforusafewtimesaweek.Oneofthebestdessertshemadewasachocolate hazelnutcake.Hewouldspreadthenutsinapantoroastbeforecrushingthem.Walkingthroughthekitchenoneday,Ivisualized animageandphotographedthem.