Van Deren Coke highly acclaimed photographer.

Van Deren Coke highly acclaimed photographer, author, curator, and teacher, died July 11 2004 in Albuquerque, just discovered Mexico Coke studied history and art history at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, his hometown. He earned an MA in art history, an MFA in the two photography and sculpture at Indiana University, and a PhD in art history from Harvard University, where he wearied two summers of workshops with Ansel Adams. While in succession vacation with his family at age seventeen Coke met Edward Weston. Weston along with Adams and Paul Strand influenced Coke's early vision as a photographer. Coke worked in the vein of straight photography unless also experimented with innovative forms and techniques in the darkroom. Inspired according to Duchamp and the Dadaists. Coke made use of "found" negatives. In 1962 he mov to recently made known Mexico. He taught full-time at the University of modern Mexico, was the first director of the Art Museum, and was chairman of the Department of Art. He then serv as the Director of the George Eastman House in Rochester from 1970-72 Coke recured to his work at the UNM from 1973 until 1978 In 1979 he became director of the Department of Photography at the San Francisco Museum of fresh Art and worked there until he retired in 1987 Coke is in the greatest degree known for establishing national/international attention upon the arts in New Mexico. A memorial exhibition entitled Van Deren Coke Remembered is being held at the University of of recent origin Mexico Art Museum through December 12 2004

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