Smith, Michael A. Michael A. Smith. Landscapes, 1975-1979. January 16-March 2, 1981. Signed.

An Exhibition of Photographs by Michael A. Smith.  Lehigh University, 1981. Essay by James L. Enyeart. Statement by Michael A. Smith.  [Born in Philadelphia, Michael A. Smith (1942–2018) became well known for his analog black-and-white photographs using 8x10, 12x20, and 18x22 view cameras.  Together with his wife, artist and photographer Paula Chamlee, he operated the photo book publisher, Lodima Press, and taught many workshops.] Stapled wraps, 20 pages, including one fold-out. Scarce signed. Summary:

This 20-page exhibition catalog was published by the Lehigh University Art Galleries (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) to document a solo exhibition of landscape photography by American photographer Michael A. Smith. The premier exhibition ran from January 16 through March 2, 1981, before traveling to other American museums through 1982.

The catalog is concurrently tied to Smith's award-winning two-volume monograph of the same name published in 1981 by Lodima Press.

Core Premise & Artistic Style

The exhibition showcased four years of Smith’s rigorous work documenting both the expansive natural wilderness of the American West and densely populated urban landscapes.

• The "Straight Photography" Tradition: Following in the footsteps of mid-century masters like Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston, Smith committed entirely to straight, unmanipulated photography. His work focuses on transforming elements found in the real world into balanced, geometric, and aestheticized compositions.

• Large-Format View Cameras: To achieve exceptional clarity, depth, and fidelity, Smith utilized massive view cameras. The exhibition featured works shot using an 8x10-inch camera alongside ultra-wide panoramic imagery shot with an 8x20-inch camera.

• Contact Printing: Maintaining a strict standard of technical purity, Smith never enlarged his negatives. Every black-and-white gelatin silver photograph in the exhibition was a contact print—made by placing the massive negative directly onto the light-sensitive paper, yielding extraordinary sharpness and rich tonal ranges.

Catalog Contents

• Critical Essays: The publication features a foreword by curator Ricardo Viera (longtime director of the Lehigh University Art Galleries) and an introductory essay by art historian James L. Enyeart, providing critical context on Smith's place within contemporary landscape photography and the graphic, modernist tradition.

• Documentation: The softcover volume includes several high-fidelity illustrations of the exhibited works, an official exhibition checklist, and biographical details highlighting Smith's freelance career, awards, and major municipal commissions.

Copies available:

• Very good with light crimps and price label on back from Toledo Museum, one of the four additional venues where this exhibition traveled after Lehigh University. SIGNED.
  
• Very good with light crimps. SIGNED.
  
• Unsigned, fine except some light spots on rear cover.