Here's a photograph from the new box of old negatives that I found a few weeks back. It was made in 1994 (I think) and is a lowrider taken next to a taco stand across the road from Santuario de Chimayo in New Mexico.

Online Gallery of The Spirit of Place: Northern New Mexico

Click here for an online gallery of the recent exhibit, The Spirit of Place: Northern New Mexico. I hope to have information about the photographs online very soon.

Another Box

I found another box of 2 1/4 negatives - Indiana, a little NM, a few of CA and a bunch of photos of the Vulgar Boatmen from the early 1990's. In another box I found some 4x5 portraits of the VB. Will continue to post photographs that interest me out of the archive. For now, here's one from Turkey Run. I was going through my "Siskind/Callahan" period when this was made.

Here's a landscape photograph from a 4"x5" negative that was made somewhere west of the Rio Grande Gorge bridge near Taos, New Mexico back in September of 1995. To get to the west side of the gorge, I can guarantee that Satch drove the car across that bridge.

Rock Wall and Water Abstract

While hiking in New Mexico in 1993, Satch and I came across a waterfall in a woods. We were at a higher elevation and out of the desert, probably somewhere between Truchas and Taos. The small stream was also working its way along and through some rock faces adjacent to the waterfall. This abstract was a small part of that area.

Vallonia, Indiana Cemetery

This photograph from a 4"x5" negative made in November 1994, was made while photographing small towns in Indiana. On a small rise in a farm field, the cemetery is just south of Vallonia on State Road 135.

Solsberry, Indiana

Thought I'd dig through the old 4"x5" negatives this morning.

In the early 1990s I photographed towns in Indiana that were in the process of dying. Corporate farming and centralization of business around large cities was killing these towns. It was obvious that a way of life was blowing away in the wind. When I would travel for work I would stick to the back roads. Over just a few years in the late 1980's through the early 1990's the erosion in these towns was obvious. The buildings that were constructed in a different time were really starting to show their age and, in most cases, were not being used for the original intent. For example, this building, the Yo Ho Grocery in Solsberry, Indiana was originally the local Masonic Hall. Indiana used to have a thriving rural life; unfortunately much of it is gone forever.

I actually noted the date I made this photo on the negative sleeve - August 23, 1992.

Penitente Morada, Abiquiu, New Mexico

From 1995, here is a photograph of the Penitente Morada in Abiquiu, formally known as La Morada de Nuestra Senora de Dolores del Alto de Abiquiu. Photographic research on the net shows that the morada has undergone a major face lift.

Abiquiu, New Mexico

Here's a 1995 landscape from New Mexico. Taken in the Ghost Ranch area near Abiquiu, Cerro Perdenal is seen on the horizon. This is O'Keefe country. The view of the sky just seems to go on forever.

Archive Prints

This morning the printer has been churning out photographs from the archive project. I'm mostly happy with the results and, in a few cases, very pleasantly surprised. Viewing prints online just does not do the work justice. So, If anybody wants to see the prints sometime, let me know.

Thunderstorm, Northern New Mexico

Thanks to the huge sky and vast horizon in New Mexico, thunderstorms are exciting to witness. Cloud formations and the streaming rain are beautiful. This photograph was made in 1993 somewhere in the Abiquiu/Ghost Ranch area.

Abandoned Morada, Abiquiu

Just outside Abiquiu is an abandoned Penitente Morada. The White cross was, obviously, being maintained. From 1993, never printed.

Turkey Run State Park Pt. III

This is the last photograph that I will post from the Turkey Run State Park photography outing with Andrew Johnston. As I dig through the old negatives I'm sure that I will find more photographs of Turkey Run from other outings.

During the late morning, when I set up, the light was right. I was hoping to make this photograph on this day. My favorite photograph that David Lee Miller ever made was of this scene. As David had passed on to bigger and better things, I had been wanting to make this photograph as an homage to him. This day was the day; it was the first day that I had been to Turkey Run after David had passed. And, at this point, it was the last.

Turkey Run State Park Pt. II

In somewhat the same vein as the singular tree growing out of the canyon floor, this photograph shows a tree growing out of the canyon wall. Again, the leafless tree branches are white against the texture of the rocky canyon wall. The top edge of the canyon wall is shown to give a little scale and dimension.

Trees, rocks and creeks are extremely overused subjects in art, especially in Indiana. Trying to get any combination of those elements to express anything poetic, to get past the scenic, is a huge challenge. These photographs approach that threshold, but I don't feel that they fully get past it. What do you think? Any comments would be appreciated.

Turkey Run State Park

A few years ago I photographed with Andrew Johnston in Turkey Run State Park and the surrounding area around Rockville, Indiana. One of the photographs that Andrew made that day is now on exhibit at Dean Johnson Gallery. It is a singular tree with no leaves that was growing out of the rocky canyon floor.

I developed the negatives from that day but never printed any of them. I thought it would be interesting to see what that day of photography produced. Here's the first image, made with the 2 1/4" (as were all of the Turkey Run photographs). It is the above mentioned tree against the texture of the canyon wall. Soon I'll be posting more photographs from Turkey Run SP.

Truchas, New Mexico

This scene is on the gateway into Truchas, New Mexico. The Truchas peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains are in the background. Truchas is an interesting place where many of the old ways are still practiced. On the High Road, it is about half way between Santa Fe and Taos. The photograph was made in the middle 1990s with the 4"x5."

St. Francisco de Asis, Ranchos de Taos

Here's a photograph made with the 4"x5" camera of St. Francisco de Asis at Ranchos de Taos, new Mexico. It seems that anybody who makes photographs, or paints, wants to utilize this beautiful adobe church as a subject. This picture was probably made in the middle 1990's.

el Santuario de Chimayo

The first group of photographs to be published in the archive are from New Mexico's el Santuario de Chimayo. This is a small portfolio of an extraordinary time in the Church when the crutches, and other items, that were left as evidence of miracles were plentiful and the light streamed through the small windows. These photographs were made with an old Zeiss 2 1/4."