Weingarten, Robert. Earthscapes by Robert Weingarten. Exhibition Catalog, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, California, November 1999.

Hardcover, not issued with dust jacket.  First edition (not published with ISBN number). Custom-made 4-mil polyester protector.  25 color plates. Near fine with a thin scratch on cover. Sensitive photographs made in Prague, Czech Republic; Point Lobos, Yosemite, and Napa Valley, California; Vermont; Tuscany, Italy; Berkshire, England; Provence, France; Kona, Hawaii; and Aspen, Colorado.  Weingarten has been an active photographer based in Malibu since the 1990s and his work has been extensively exhibited and collected by major institutions and individual collectors.  For his bio, see https://www.robertweingarten.com/bio. Summary:

Earthscapes (1999) is an exhibition catalog documenting a pivotal body of work by American photographer Robert Weingarten. Published for his show at the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel, California, the book showcases Weingarten’s transition from traditional documentary subjects toward large-scale, painterly abstractions found in the natural world.

Artistic Vision

In Earthscapes, Weingarten explores the "found" geometry of the planet, frequently utilizing aerial perspectives to transform the landscape into a series of colors, lines, and textures.

• Abstraction in Nature: The images focus on salt ponds, agricultural patterns, and topographical features that, when stripped of a horizon line, appear as abstract expressionist paintings.

• Scale and Detail: The work is noted for its immense clarity and scale, encouraging the viewer to see the "macro" patterns of the earth as intricate, deliberate compositions.

Photographic Style

Weingarten’s approach in this series is defined by a rigorous technical precision that serves a poetic end:

• The "Unmanipulated" Image: Despite their surreal appearance, the photographs are grounded in reality; Weingarten relies on natural light and specific timing to achieve his vivid palettes.

• Aerial Perspective: By shooting from high altitudes, he removes the human scale, turning vast geographical regions into intimate, two-dimensional studies of form and light.

Key Information

• Published: 1999 by the Center for Photographic Art.

• Exhibition Context: The Carmel exhibition helped solidify Weingarten's reputation as a master of the contemporary color landscape, following in the footsteps of the "West Coast" tradition but pushing it into the digital and abstract era.

• Foreword/Essays: Typically includes introductory text that contextualizes Weingarten’s shift from his earlier work (like the 6:30 AM series) toward this broader, global perspective.

Summary: Earthscapes is a sophisticated visual study that bridges the gap between photography and painting. It challenges the viewer to reconsider the Earth's surface not just as a resource or a location, but as a masterpiece of unintentional art.