( Polar Kiss - Thomas D. Mangelsen )

            I visited the Thomas D. Mangelsen Gallery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on a sunny September afternoon. Just married and driving home from Yellowstone National Park with my new wife, we decided to take advantage of our geographic location and check out some galleries. We actually toured two galleries, the other being David Brookover – Fine Art Photography. Brookover’s gallery was mostly black and white landscape photographs that were interesting but Mangelsen’s gallery really conjured up many thoughts and questions in which some I continue to ponder.

Mangelsen, according to his website actually has fifteen galleries mostly in the western states including a location in Park City, Utah. His site also touts Mangelsen as “one of the world’s premier nature photographers.” This was immediately evident upon first inspection of the large oversized landscape and animal prints dressing his two story pad located on the road leading directly into Teton National Park.

Jackson Hole couldn’t be a better fit for Mangelsen’s photography. He display’s amazing prints of grizzly and polar bears with other more exotic mammals along with wondrous landscape photos of the Teton Mountain range. It’s hard to take a bad picture of the Teton’s but what I noticed about Mangelsen is the same thing I notice while starring at an Ansel Adams. Although Mangelsen shoots primarily in color versus Adams’ black and white, he manages to capture quality once in a lifetime images that bring our world to life. Mangelsen’s shot of the Tetons at dawn on a clear winter morning when only the peaks are sun lit and the foreground is in shadow is admirable. Then of course, he manages to snap this “landscape” photo while a cow moose and calf are traversing the snow. The subtle and small in scale moose silhouette converts the scene from a beautiful vista to a rare moment captured forever on film.

The gallery was adorned floor to ceiling with hanging prints of all sizes along with books, Christmas cards, DVD’s, CD’s, screen savers, and post cards. This commercialism detracted significantly from the art. Mangelsen’s photos capture awe inspiring singular moments but with the thousands of reprints those wondrous images permeate the mainstream contrary to the fundamental idea of a transcendent juncture.

This business approach to art begs the question of how far an artist can go in self promotion to make a living before altering the uniqueness and individualism of their own work? Obviously Mangelsen does pretty well for himself as a photographer by selling reprints and other ancillary projects but why does his gallery have to feel like I’m on a used car lot? The earthy music was playing overhead and the sales personal were friendly but phony. I felt like if I didn’t purchase something then I shouldn’t be in the store. I just wanted to stare and get lost in Mangelsen’s work, not taste the arrogant pompous associates, “willing to help.” They are not going to “help” me enjoy the photographs instead they will “help” me empty my wallet.

Mangelsen’s mercantile gallery forces me to not only judge his work by his incredible photos but also by my disdain for his employees. Entering the gallery conjured up feelings of when I walk head down ignoring all the mountebanks at the local home and garden show. Mangelsen could be a great person with only positive intensions but that wasn’t present within the gallery itself. In fact only after reading his website did I learn Mangelsen was raised in the family business of retail and he prides himself on having the business skills in which most artists seem to be lacking. He must be highly profitable while living the dream which is commendable but at what end price?

I’m currently in a beginning Photography class and with just exiting Yellowstone National Park abundant with wildlife I was able to test my virgin 35mm skills. I quickly gained respect for the patience, conditions, lighting and maybe pure luck involved in snapping a photograph worth selling let alone making a living with. The skill, poise, and tenacity evident in Mangelsen’s images were motivating and almost unbelievable. I would stare at one of his many photos and think, “How was he there at that moment when…?” Thus, this praiseworthy side of visiting Mangelsen’s gallery was rewarding. Despite the “clean up on aisle three” undertone, the artists work was genuine and inviting.

As an example, Mangelsen renders a particular winter image that awed me and captured the providential theme involved in his pictures. The first glimpse of the snow covered backdrop with two delicately blanketed in white trees predominate in the middle ground looks again like an astounding winter-scape photo. It wasn’t until I read the name of the photo, “Druids’ Frosty Morning Passage,” did I discover the pack of wolves running through the entire frame of this jack-frost scene. Druids, I learned in Yellowstone is the name of one of the parks resident wolf packs. I didn’t see a single wolf during my two week tour of this National Park. I spied plenty of buffalo, elk, deer, a couple coyote, and some pronghorn but never a wolf or bear. Mangelsen manages to somehow get the perfect winter landscape photograph with a cherry on top. The cherry in this case is at least eight wolves running from one side of the frame completely through to the other side and exiting stage right.

It doesn’t seem possible let alone fair. I would buy the picture without the wolves cameo. This image alone solidified in my mind Mangelsen’s greatness and fortune in merging the most beautiful earthly landscapes with some of the planets most elusive and majestic animals.

Bobbie, my new wife, and I slipped past the watchful eyes of the front desk and moseyed upstairs where we were finally alone with Mangelsen’s work. This was how I envisioned a gallery to be. The upper deck was one large open room decorated again with many of Tom’s prints. The lighting was less bright and a single low setting couch centered and facing the back wall invited admirers to sit and observe. The music was now louder than downstairs and a bit much. Nothing like fake rain and bongo’s to get you in the buying mood, I guess?

Slightly secluded we were able to stare at Mangelsen’s work and finally enjoy. Without the “Big Brother” feeling we could at last, truly appreciate and benefit from Mangelsen’s extraordinary images. I could have gawked for hours, if it weren’t for our bellies grumbling for lunch, I think we would have made our visit a much longer one.

Upstairs and uninterrupted stood this final image where I questioned the reality because it was just too improbable to swallow. Entitled, “Mothers Love,” Mangelsen knew this picture was good because he enlarged it the entire size of the upstairs south wall. The subject was mountain lions featuring a lioness lying under an impressive boulder eyes wide and on the watch while her kin was snuggled safely in her breast sleeping. I can’t imagine the time and patience Mangelsen must have endured to capture such a moment and to have all your photographic gear handy and ready to go demonstrates his professional and practiced approach to photographing wildlife.

Mountain lions and wolves were not even Tom’s animals of focus. Mangelsen had a plethora of Grizzly and Brown bears along with likely the most comprehensive and impressive Polar Bear images ever seen. Included in Mangelsen’s Polar Bear collection was a personal favorite he titled “Polar Kiss,” where he captured a Polar bear lying down kissing a chained up Alaskan Husky. Yet another timely snapshot although not much landscape.

Mangelsen doesn’t limit his wildlife pictures to mammals nor does he limit himself to North America. Tom had on display a collection of images from Africa that included the typical elephants, lions, giraffe, and even some amazing gorilla close ups. But again, the print that caught my attention most was a landscape picture of a light brown dirt road breaking up the tall green grasses of the African plains placed against a deep blue water filled sky. Then in the middle of the road isn’t just a lion but an entire pride of lions including multiple cubs. The regal prance of the adult lions comingled with the cuteness of the cubs is a winning composition.

            Wildlife photography may not require hand to paper artistic talent but it is vividly evident in Mangelsen’s body of work that getting the “right” shot in the wild is unequivocally an art. Capturing the beauty and rawness of the land as an Ansel Adams could do is hard enough but to then be skilled enough to introduce a wild animal into the frame is just incomprehensibly good. 

Tom, “a purest to the end” according to his website, does not digitally retouch his images. This is respectful but I’m still perplexed as to how he runs his galleries. I liken it to the world of music and online downloading along with shareware. Does the artist gain or suffer from the overexposure and the reproducibility of their work? Mangelsen is obviously the model for how to self promote, sell, and bankroll. Mangelsen could not however market his product as well as he does if it was a poor quality product.

Leaving the gallery I was both inspired and disappointed. I was notably energized and motivated by Tom’s work but yet I left feeling dirty and guilty for not purchasing anything. I looked. I perused the many small items perfectly displayed around the main entrance and kindly declined any “help” from the sales staff. If an artist has to retail his product to make a living then so be it but even though successful in business, Mangelsen’s work stands alone. Therefore, I’m disheartened to see such a commercial spin applied to his images.

I see the Tom Mangelsen Gallery as a troublesome reflection of the town of Jackson Hole in which it subsides. A beautiful quant mountain settlement nestled amongst the towering and divine Teton Mountain range is now tainted by commercialism, greed, and competition. Mangelsen may be just trying to make an honest living but his true gift of capturing wondrous and unique images I believe is sadly tainted by such an enterprise as displayed in his Jackson Hole gallery.


                        ( Changing Lanes - Thomas D. Mangelsen )


        ( Druids Frosty Morning Passage - Thomas D. Mangelsen )