Walter Grossman (b.1944)
About the Art and Artist
Painted Wall, 1980
Medium:
Gelatin silver print, 16 x 20”
Location: Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower, Akron Campus (141 N. Forge St.), Fifth Floor, East End Hallway
Grossman’s Painted Wall invites viewers into a landscape shaped by time and the elements. The towering rock face dominates the composition, its striated layers and rain-washed verticals forming a natural tapestry of texture and contrast. A well-worn path leads the eye toward a darkened cave, an opening into the unknown, while the stark silhouette of a tree trunk anchors the scene, its living form juxtaposed against the enduring stone.
Captured in black and white, the image reveals a rich interplay of light and shadow, solidity and space. The details, from weathered rock to scattered scree and shifting tones, offer a moment of stillness and reflection, inviting us to contemplate both the permanence of nature and the passage of time.
Autumn Rain, Ash Cave Ohio, 1976
Medium: Gelatin silver print, 16 x 20”
Location: Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower, Akron Campus (141 N. Forge St.), Blue Neighborhood, Fifth Floor, East End Hallway
Grossman’s Autumn Rain draws us into the quiet grandeur of Ash Cave in Ohio’s Hocking Hills. The deep overhang frames the composition, guiding the eye toward the soft light at the center before leading it further into the forest beyond. A delicate, seasonal waterfall, born from autumn rains, descends into the scene, while the damp sand below bears the rippling traces of flowing water, marking the land’s constant transformation.
Through masterful tonal gradation, Grossman captures the interplay of shadow and light, using the depth of the gelatin silver print to bring out the richness of the landscape. The photograph invites contemplation, offering a moment of stillness where the fleeting and the timeless converge.
Conkle’s Hollow, 1980
Medium: Gelatin silver print, 16 x 20”
Location: Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower, Akron Campus (141 N. Forge St.), Blue Neighborhood, Fifth Floor, East End Hallway
Grossman’s Conkle’s Hollow captures the untamed essence of one of Ohio’s deepest gorges. At the heart of the composition stands a single tree, its vertical form a striking contrast to the surrounding landscape of jagged, shifting stone. Fallen leaves shimmer across the rock’s rough surface, hinting at the seasonal cycles shaping this dynamic terrain.
The scene is alive with movement. Diagonal lines and sharp edges create a sense of energy, as light and shadow dance across the uneven surfaces. In this carefully framed moment, Grossman reveals a landscape still in transformation, where nature’s forces continue to shape and redefine the land.
Cleveland-based photographer Walter Grossman trained with Ansel Adams, mastering the art of black-and-white photography. Internationally recognized, he captures the subtle grandeur of Ohio’s landscapes, turning his lens toward the familiar yet often overlooked beauty of the region. The Summa Collection includes three of his gelatin silver prints, an early photographic process that remained a standard for much of the 20th century before being largely replaced by digital photography in the 21st.
Grossman’s work brings the drama and precision of Adams’ approach to Ohio’s more intimate landscapes, specifically the Hocking Hills region, where he composes each image with rich detail and quiet elegance. His black-and-white treatment creates a sense of timelessness, removing distractions of color to emphasize texture, contrast, and composition. While these images suggest seasonal nuances, there is nothing to indicate they couldn’t have been captured yesterday or a century ago.
In addition to his career as a photographer, Grossman has maintained a dental practice in Rocky River, Ohio, balancing his artistic and professional pursuits. His work has been exhibited in regional galleries and museums, and he has also shared his expertise through teaching at Lorain County Community College. The collection Elusive Shadows, in which these images were first published, includes his photography not only from Ohio but also from California and Colorado, showcasing his broad artistic range.
Explore More of Walter Grossman’s Work
The photographs on view at Summa Health are part of Elusive Shadows, a 12-piece portfolio of U.S. landscape prints published by Grossman’s gallery in 1981. Additional works by the artist can be found on the gallery’s website. Grossman’s dedication to capturing the passage of time and transformation in the built and natural environment is also evident in his 2010 publication, Cleveland’s Vanishing Sacred Architecture, which documents churches and related spaces in decline throughout the greater Cleveland region.