By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger. 2013.
The Newark Museum is a rich respite among the urban confusion of downtown Newark. You can drive past Penn Station, past the vibrant Ironbound District and past the city of large office buildings including the Prudential tower, Seton Hall Law School, glass office buildings and the magnificent New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
As you go down McCarter Highway, along the Passaic River towards Center Street, you pass old buildings, body shops, and one of my favorite restaurants— Don Pepe. You do a little zig zag near NJPAC and you arrive at the museum on Washington Street.
The beautiful modern museum is the largest in New Jersey. It has been built around the John Ballentine mansion and has a variety of areas to explore. The Tibet collection is one of the best in the world, having been purchased from Christian missionaries in the early 20th century.
We went primarily for the George Tice exhibit. I may refer to him as George because I took a black and white printing workshop with him in 1995 in Maine. He is one of America’s best known photographers. He also is famous as a “master printer” having taught the darkroom craft for years at the Maine Photo Workshops, at the New School, and elsewhere. He is a wonderful teacher.
His photographs are sold and exhibited world wide, and this year, on his 75th birthday, there are special exhibits in multiple locations in the US and Europe. George is also known in Jersey because his family settled here in the 17th century. Perhaps you know of Ticetown or Tices Lane in East Brunswick. He is known for photographing historic buildings in the Paterson area. He said that he sees beyond the image–he thinks about subject matter which will someday disappear. His book Paterson is one of his most famous.
George Tice photographs using film and large format cameras–the kind where you stick your head under a cloth. His approach to photography is meticulous and thoughtful. He helped re-introduce the technique of platinum printing; a method that produces rich, high quality images. Some of his platinum work is shown at the show.
The exhibit in Newark is small and somewhat unusual given its variety of themes, but I found it to be fascinating. It only has 26 works but there is a wide variation of subjects and artists. In addition to George’s own work, they are showing prints by a number of famous photographers including Edward Weston and Edward Steichen whose images were printed by Tice. In addition the museum is exhibiting some wonderful prints from the 150 photograph collection which George has donated to the museum over the years including images by Cole Weston, Paul Caponigro, Edward Curtis and even a rare albumin print of a kitchen table by the English inventor Edward Fox Talbot who was a pioneer in the development of photography in the mid 1800’s. (Editor’s note: When photography was first invented, they photographed apples and tables, etc. Next were naked ladies—aka nude models; the practice continues to this day.—PG)
George Tice is still working and teaching. The gift shop at the museum carries some of his books, but also a new video in which he revisits places where he captured his most famous shots and he discusses his work and philosophy. The Newark Museum is definitely worth a visit.
THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: “Canon in D Major” By Johann Pachelbel
Shame to read/hear about Samuel Miller passing. Interesting that Blogfinger would have an article about museum at same time. Co-incidence or psychic?
Mr. Miller retired as director in 1993. However his legacy lived on and continues to do so. I remember when he was Assistant Director at Albright -Knox Art Museum in Buffalo NY when I briefly went to school up there. One always should note & remember visionaries such as he.
Samuel Miller, longtime director of the Newark Museum, has died at 83 (Source NJ.com)
I think that is the one with the big water tower behind. That image is in the show and it is featured as a huge print along with the “White Castle” in Rahway. I think there was only one of his Paterson photos–a shot of the Passaic Falls.
George Tices Photo : Petits Mobil Gas Station Cherry HIll NJ is one of my favorite B&W photos. Do you happen to know/remember if it is in this show ?
The Newark Museum is a wonderful museum that unfortunately not too many folks are familiar with. Likewise the Noyes Museum in South Jersey.