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BIOGRAPHY

Bob Kolbrener's pursuit of fine art photography took a major leap forward when in 1968, as an amateur photographer, he innocently wandered into the Best Studio, now the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite National Park. In 1977, Ansel invited him to join him as an instructor, along with Yousuf Karsh at the Ansel Adams Spring Workshop, and more than forty-five years ago, Bob made a commitment to continue in the Ansel Adams tradition of “straight photography". Historically, he has not used computers or digital manipulation in his work, printing the “old fashioned” way. Until now…

 

 Adapting to the digital world with agility and grace, Kolbrener now boldly presents Tradigital AutoGraphs – a witty and thoughtful body of work – reflecting Bob's relationship with Ansel Adams, along with his own unique, delightful and entertaining world-view. Finding images and using odd signage to make photographs that celebrate and share his insatiable wonder at the world in which we live, the Tradigital collection comes full circle with this, his debut show at Pop International Galleries.

The Bakersfield Museum of Art recently opened "Bob Kolbrener: Vision of Place" which was a retrospective scope show that highlighted work from six decades of Bob's prolific career.

 

Kolbrener is truly the last living photographer who honors the rich tradition of those who came before him. Contemporary photographers work as specialists within the medium to a particular genre or subject matter. It is seemingly a lost practice to execute photos in the way Kolbrener continues to. When looking at his body of work you realize what a priority it is to shoot anything and everything with an impeccable awareness to composition and skill. 

 

 ~ Rachel A. Magnus, Curator, Bakersfield Museum of Art, Bakersfield, CA

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