Backstory
In 2019, I traveled along the Rio Grande from Creede, Colorado to Bernalillo, New Mexico, keeping a journal and producing images of various sites along the river. In the spirit of 19th-century artist-explorers such as the Kern brothers, Seth Eastman, Albert Bierstadt, Tomas Moran and William Henry Jackson, my focus was painting in sketchbooks, making photographs, and producing written narratives. While all three of these activities have traditionally been regarded as note-taking, research, or rehearsals for “major works”, I regard them instead as elements, within a single practice, in which the art abides. I was also mindful of the cultural diversity of the parched region through which this waterway flows, and how using a codex as the substrate for painting puts my work in dialogue with major non-Western book-arts traditions; from the Islamic world and the Himalayas to East Asia and Mesoamerica. Synthetic outcomes from this project include monoprints produced with Michael Costello @ Hand Graphics in Santa Fe; Grand River Sketchbook; a fine-press limited edition (25) suite of ten (10) archival pigment prints, printed by Orion Studios in Santa Fe, in a find handmade binding by Peter Geraty of Praxis Bindery in Easthampton, Mass. Also on view are hand-embellished color intaglio copperplate etchings, with digital chine-colle produced by Philadelphia master printer Cindi Royce Ettinger, and original watercolors. Contact Maria Hajic at: mhajic@gpgallery.com, or call (505) 954-5769. A number of these works have been installed at Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, where they will remain on view through the summer.
Grand River Sketchbook (unique original painting journal). Watercolor sketchbook 3.5 x 10.5 inches (open) in a fine handmade Solander box by Mita Saldana, Against the Grain Book Binding, Albuquerque NM. Contact Maria Hajic at: mhajic@gpgallery.com, or call (505) 954-5769
A closer look: The page spread seen here in the original Grand River Sketchbook is a view of of White Rock Canyon, dated March 2, 2019.
OTHER WORKS ON VIEW
Fort Union. Watercolor. 4 x 10 inches. 2019
Contact Maria Hajic at: mhajic@gpgallery.com, or call (505) 954-5769
Moonrise, White Rock Canyon. Image size: 14.5 x 19 inches. Monoprint on paper. Sheet size 22 x 30 inches. Printed by Hand Graphics, Santa Fe, NM. 2019
Contact Maria Hajic at: mhajic@gpgallery.com, or call (505) 954-5769
Confluence: Rio Grande & Rio Pueblo de Taos. Image size: 14.5 x 19 inches. Monoprint on paper. Sheet size 22 x 30 inches. printed by Hand Graphics, Santa Fe, NM. 2019
Contact Maria Hajic at: mhajic@gpgallery.com, or call (505) 954-5769
Moonrise, Confluence. Image size: 14.5 x 19 inches. Monoprint on paper. Sheet size 22 x 30 inches. printed by Hand Graphics, Santa Fe, NM. 2019. Contact Maria Hajic at:
mhajic@gpgallery.com, or call (505) 954-5769
Tunyo, or The Black Mesa. (#3) Hand-embellished color intaglio copperplate etching with digital Chine-colle, printed by Philadelphia Master Printer Cindi Royce Ettinger. 2020. Contact Maria Hajic at: mhajic@gpgallery.com, or call (505) 954-5769
Tunyo, or The Black Mesa (#4) Hand-embellished color intaglio copperplate etching with digital Chine-colle, printed by Philadelphia Master Printer Cindi Royce Ettinger 2020. Contact Maria Hajic at: mhajic@gpgallery.com, or call (505) 954-5769
Limited edition of 25: Grand River Sketchbook. 2020. A suite of 10 archival pigment prints. Printed by Orion Studios, Santa Fe; Binding by Peter Geraty, Praxis Bindery, Easthampton Mass. View the edition HERE. Contact Maria Hajic at: mhajic@gpgallery.com, or call (505) 954-5769
COMING SOON:
Sketchbook Traveler. Southwest was due to be released in May, but due to supply chain issues related to the Covid pandemic, the first edition (which has been printed overseas) is due to arrive in late summer. Following up on the success of Sketchbook Traveler: Hudson Valley, volume 2 in this trilogy explores the American Southwest from New Mexico to the Mojave Desert in journal-paintings and field notes by the author. Conceived as a backpacker’s field-guide and coffee-table art book, this compact volume includes lessons in print; a “why-to” guide to augmenting ubiquitous photographic devices. Blank pages scattered with inspirational quotes are provided for keeping one’s own traveler’s sketchbook. Pre-order here: LINK
Also:
Order your copy of the book here: LINK
For information about Needlewatcher Editions, write to editions@needlewatcher.com
Needlewatcher Editions. PO Box 233. Essex, New York. 12936-0233. (347) 266-5652