REYNOLDA x ANSEL ADAMS EXHIBITION

When we were approached by the Reynolda House Museum of American Art to develop an exhibition identity for their Ansel Adams: Eloquent Light, we were quietly excited.

Our goal was to create an experience that gave visitors insight into Adams, his methods and his work. Adams’ love for national parks and nature is central in his photography, so we decided to play in that space, incorporating topography into the design elements, creating field notebook brochures, and illustrating his meticulous developing processes.

SERVICES

COLLATERAL
CONTENT CREATION
COPYWRITING
EXHIBITION GRAPHICS
ILLUSTRATION
MERCHANDISE DESIGN
PRINT
VISUAL IDENTITY

"THE INTRICACIES WITH WHICH THE DESIGN SUPPORTED THE EXHIBITION WERE TRULY A DELIGHT TO DISCOVER AND SHARE, AND DEVICE EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERY DECISION IN ENSURING THE CREATIVE VISION BEHIND THE DESIGN WAS FULLY REALIZED."

- SARAH SMITH / DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS / REYNOLDA HOUSE

AWARDS & PRESS

COMMUNICATION ARTS EXHIBIT
CA TYPOGRAPHY ANNUAL
AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS

The logo design highlights Adams’ outdoorsy nature and exacting dark room processes. Rendered in reflective type, the title wall and gallery graphics artfully capture Adams’s belief that “there are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” Silver-toned exhibition collateral give a nod to Adams’s reputation as a “light seeker” and environmentalist.

Uniting all of these elements is our brochure companion piece. It’s designed for note-taking, education, and exploration. Moments of discovery about Adams’ life, his work, and vintage photographic processes occur throughout, and a final page unfolds to reveal a drawing of Ansel atop his wagon. Overlaid with a clear spot varnish, it must be rotated in a viewer’s hands to be properly seen: a movement that mimics the development process.