Bob Kolbrener subjects, from landscapes to portraits, from symbols of man
encroaching on nature to humorous signage, are all carefully and thoughtfully executed.

Picturing The West – Photographs by: Bob Kolbrener

A show with Brett Weston in Los Angeles over 35 years ago launched his work. Since then, it has been exhibited throughout the United States as well as in Austria, China, Indonesia and Japan. With photographs in numerous private and corporate collections …including Texaco, Polaroid, Southwestern Bell and A. G. Edwards …his images are also in collections at institutions such as the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Monterey Museum of Art, the High Museum of Art and Washington University.

Kolbrener began conducting workshops with Ansel Adams at Yosemite. In the quarter of a century since, he has continued teaching at other workshop venues in addition to serving as a guest lecturer at a number of universities and museums.

“Kolbrener stands apart because his photographs have a rare technical perfection—every print is ideal and masterful in light, tone, cropping and consistency.” – James D. Burke, Director, Saint Louis Art Museum

Featured in this exhibition is the work of Bob Kolbrener.

Select this link to view his complete artist page.

Bob Kolbrener (1949 – ) first experienced the work of Ansel Adams on a trip to California in 1968, and has spent his photographic career exploring the American west since then. In 1973, he joined the Ansel Adams Workshop as an instructor and has worked at various workshops in his career, including directing the Escalante Canyon Workshop in Utah. In 1983, Kolbrener was granted permission from the Federal Government to photograph entire Alcatraz Island during its Fiftieth Anniversary as a Federal Penitentiary. Since the 1980s, he was been a guest instructor at a number of colleges and institutions including, Washington University, the University of Missouri, and the Saint Louis Art Museum.
Kolbrener was awarded the Best Foreign Photographer Award for Black and White Photography at the Pingyao International Photography Festival, China, in 2008

November 2018 – June 2019

This retrospective of Bob Kolbrener’s photography showcases his extensive body of work in the American West, all created in the “old fashioned way,” using large format cameras, black and white film and fiber-based prints. Having trained under Ansel Adams, Kolbrener captures breathtaking moments in nature along with other powerful images, infused with his keen insights and occasional bit of dry humor.