Photographic Print Exhibit: Ancient Ruins of the Southwest

Spring break 1979 after a week of cross country skiing snowbound in the San Juan
Mountains of Colorado, my buddies and I decided to take a brief side trip up to Mesa
Verde before heading back to Big Sky Country for our final semester of study at
Montana State University. I had seen photographs of the famous ruins from the time I
was a kid and always marveled at them. Yet the pictures begged more questions than
they could ever possibly answer. This was my first real-life encounter, but certainly not
to be my last, of Mesa Verde and what lies beyond. As the evening approached with a
blustery March wind in our faces and a few feet of snow on the ground at elevations in
excess of 8,000 feet, we peered over the cliff edges onto Cliff Palace, then Spruce Tree
House, Square Tower and more. However I'm convinced the weather had little if
anything to do with the cold chill running down my back as we gazed in awe and
reverence at the incomparable sites so precariously perched on ledges below. I was hooked.

Several decades later I'm still returning year after year to investigate, explore and understand who these people were and what happened to them. Perhaps we will never understand the full extent of their story, but their rich legacy of artwork painted and chiseled onto the red rock and their amazing masonry and architecture scattered throughout the Four Corners area might be considered the largest and most puzzling museum in the world.

The Anasazi or Ancestral Puebloan’s, often controversial in their history and origin yet enigmatic and mysterious inspire a rendering of similar intent. Hopefully you will find my images on this project I have been exploring worthy of their storied past.

And finally a brief word about the visual presentation of this exhibit. In order to provide an enhanced viewing experience of these images I have chosen to eliminate traditional glazing of glass or acrylic. The prints have been protected with several layers of acid free archival coatings with UV inhibitors virtually doubling the life of the prints while providing water and light abrasion resistance. For the collector who still prefers additional protection of glazed prints there are options. Prints may be ordered unframed allowing the collector to frame the work to their specifications and taste, or the existing framed pieces can be taken to your favorite frame shop to install glazing over the print.

Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoy the show.

A selection of Rob's exhibit in the main gallery thru Oct. 12th.