Memorial exhibition for Art professor emeritus

Professor Emeritus of Art Don Worth is honored posthumously in an exhibition at the Scott Nichols Gallery in San Francisco, on display through May 30. Titled “Influences and the Influenced,” the exhibition features photographs by Worth as well as works by the artists who had a major impact on him, and artists he taught at SF State.

Worth’s large format photographs—made, generally, with large format cameras—have an incisive clarity and quiet meditative mood. Many images involve enormous spaces, and often use the transformative power of fog, mist and other atmospheric conditions. He was a master printer, interpreting his negatives like a musician interprets a musical score. His unwavering and painstaking dedication has resulted in some of the most beautiful masterworks of 20th century photography.

Worth, who taught at SF State from 1962 to 1993, was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1974 and received an appointment from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1980. His work has been exhibited in more than 50 solo exhibitions and more than 100 group exhibitions. His photographs are owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Boston Museum of Fine Art, Getty Museum, Chicago Institute of Art, Australian National Gallery, Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris and many other museums. Worth died March 18, 2009, at age 84.

Other artists included in the exhibition are Ansel Adams, Ruth Bernhard, Wynn Bullock, Imogen Cunningham, Brett Weston, Edward Weston, Professor Emeritus Jack Welpott and Minor White and alumni Lyle Gomes, Leland Rice, Alan Ross and Mark Citret.

A reception will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 9.