Inner Light

exhibition of photographs by Richard C. Albertine, Curated by Elizabeth Weinstein. Text by Glauco Adorno. 2019.

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Selected Labels from the exhibition:


Last Shooting Trip with Minor White, 1971

Minor White, one of the great American photographers of the twentieth century, taught Richard Albertine during a special studies course at MIT. White’s poetic approach to photography understood the camera not only as a vehicle of self-expression, but also as a means of self-discovery and personal growth. His focus on spirituality greatly influenced Richard Albertine’s work throughout his career. Minor White frequently took trips with his students to photograph the countryside, and this portrait was taken in the last trip Albertine and White took together.


Ambrose Street Kids, 1963

Albertine entered this photograph to a competition promoted by the Hartford Times newspaper in Connecticut in 1963, in which he won first place. It was his first award, at the age of 19. In an attempt to bring attention to social injustices, he sought to photograph children in a poor neighborhood of Rochester NY, where he attended college. The dynamic composition foreshadows the spontaneity and lightheartedness that is part of his work later in life, when he photographs his own children.


Palm Garden, 1989

As Richard’s work matured, he became more preoccupied with spiritual matters and the search for self-discovery. This search brought him to Avery Island, a large nature reserve in Southern Louisiana. Largely unkempt at the time, the place offered an abundance of species of flora, many of them uncommon in other parts of the country. Richard often wandered through the wilderness looking for views that appealed to both his eye and his heart. For these photographs, Richard utilized a large format 11x14 inch camera, which allowed him to create larger prints without losing detail.