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Collecting Photography of the Southwest

This land gets into your blood.
Photographers have known this for decades.

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Trofimuk Vista

Nicholas Trofimuk
"Variation on a Theme"
Limited-edition silver print
Courtesy of the artist and
Photogenesis:
A Gallery of Photography

The Southwest is a land of intense beauty. The surreal quality of canyon walls and desert floors, the immenseness of space with a horizon that seems never to end, the sheer mesas and incredible rock formations—all combined with the many-faceted cultures and peoples of the Southwest—have enchanted and called out to many photographers and artists, making New Mexico one of the photographic centers in the world today. In addition to being attracted to New Mexico's natural and sociological richness, photographers have also been drawn here because of the light. Charles Lummis, photographer and writer, described it this way:

"a photographic light to be matched in no other country . . . it gives cameos of definition, wonders of detail, and a real revelation in the antithesis of light and shadow, vigorous without becoming violent."

Photography—an art form a bit more than 150 years old—has a rich and varied history in New Mexico. After the Civil War, photographers accompanied the many expeditions which explored the Southwest. Major John Wesley Powell's exploration in this area included photographer John K. Hillers. Timothy O'Sullivan joined Clarence King's geological exploration of the 40th parallel. Hayden's geological survey in 1870 included photographer William Henry Jackson. It was these men's works which served as the keyhole through which much of the world viewed the Southwest. And it was due to the work of these early photographers that Congress decided to set aside lands and create the National Park system.

Photographers have continually come to this area. Adam Clark Vroman and Edward S. Curtis, to name just two, came to capture how the people lived, worked, dressed, and interacted with the geographically strange environment. The tradition had continued. Over the years such notables as Edward Weston, Willard Van Dyke, Paul Strand, Henri Cartier-Bresson, W. Eugene Smith, Laura Gilpin and Ansel Adams have all been pulled toward New Mexico as a place of artistic creativity. It was in Taos in the early 1930s that young Ansel Adams met Paul Strand for the first time. During that afternoon Adams made his decision to pursue photography, not music, full-time.

Why the Southwest?

To Eliot Porter, writing in his book The Southwest:

The stimulation of thin air; the intense blueness of the sky; the towering thunderheads of summer that ramble and flash and produce sheets of rain with a sudden rush of water that soon passes, leaving only a wet arroyo to dry within an hour; the quick change of climate, from burning dry heat that allows no sweat to wet one's clothing to a shivering cold during the rainfall; these are among the attributes of a land that gets into one's blood and bones.

Noted historian and photographer Beaumont Newhall pointed out in the introduction to a Southwest photographic portfolio:

Recently an increasing number of photographers have chosen Santa Fe as their permanent residence and as a base for their excursions throughout the state--and the world. The reason for this seems to me to lie beyond the lure of the picturesque scenery and the outward charm of Indian pueblos and dancers, also thoroughly recorded in past decades. To the creative artist Santa Fe is a place where life can be both pleasant and stimulating and where the spirit can be renewed.

Where to begin

A newcomer should go into photography collecting slowly, step-by-step, until the taste buds begin to be activated toward certain photographers. One of the mistakes newcomers often make is to walk into a gallery, look at what's on the wall, and then walk out. They think they've seen everything. Chances are that drawers of photographer's work are available to anyone interested in seeing more. If it's a particular artist's work your interested in, ask to see more, to see a resumé. By familiarizing yourself with each person whose work you collect, you'll be better able to monitor their development over the years. And through this level of immersion will come a more discerning and appreciative eye.

Specialization

Collectors of photography increasingly follow the pattern found in other fields, namely, concentrating on one area or one school. The rising prices for rare prints make broad-based collections of first-quality images harder to afford.

If you are interested in photography purely as an investment, vintage images and works by well-established artists will be a primary focus. But if potential financial rewards aren't of paramount importance, the work of young artists should be sought, although steady nerves and a strong conviction of one's aesthetic judgment are needed. The rewards, in time, could be a pace-setting collection that grows in value and esteem.

Today in New Mexico there is an unparalleled opportunity to examine a wide array of images by scores of artists while personally enjoying the atmosphere and ambience of the Southwest so exquisitely captured through photography.


By David Scheinbaum of Scheinbaum & Russek, Ltd
(private dealers in photography located in Santa Fe.)

Originally appeared in
The Collector’s Guide to Santa Fe and Taos
- Volume 2


Related Pages

150th Anniversary of Photography article
Alternative Process Photography article
E.S. Curtis: The Shadow Catcher article

Glossary of Photography Terms article
New Mexico: Photographer's Eden article
Photography in New Mexico article
Platinum Photography article


Collector’s Resources

What Is It Worth? (and to whom?) altgif Feature article by Philip Bareiss |
Dry Heat Photography rem 4685 Corrales Road Suite #4 Corrales, NM | 505-730-8576

Albuquerque

Frank Mares rem 5901-J Wyoming NE #180 | 505-350-5000
The Albuquerque Museum of Art & History rem 2000 Mountain Road NW | 505-243-7255
Amapola Gallery rem 205 Romero NW | 505-242-4311
ArtReach á Lester Libo rem 725-13 Tramway Vista Loop NE | 505-822-8900
Kim Ashley rem 6728 Carney Ave NW | 505-922-6251
Corrales Bosque Gallery pic 4685 Corrales Road, Suite 6 | 505-898-7203
Fernando Delgado rem 3 Aspen Ct, Placitas, NM | 505-867-4560
Kirk Gittings rem 1414 Phoenix NW | 505-344-5436
Glenn F Hohnstreiter pic By Appointment in Albuquerque | 505-293-3059
New Mexico Arts & Crafts Fair rem Expo New Mexico (State Fairgrounds) | 505-884-9043
Studio Estevane rem 10005 Michelle Loop | 505-243-0176
Sugar Photography & Design rem 3801 San Mateo Blvd NE | 505-872-8900
Gail Diane Yovanovich rem By Appointment in Edgewood | 505-281-5742

Santa Fe

Artistas de Santa Fe rem 228 Old Santa Fe Trail | 505-982-1320
Tony Bonanno Photography rem 7 Avenida Vista Grande, STE 330 | 505-466-0020
Linda Durham Contemporary Art rem 1101 Paseo de Peralta | 505-466-6600
The Johnsons of Madrid Galleries of Fine & Fiber Art pic 2843 South Highway 14, Madrid, NM | 505-471-1054
Martha Keats Gallery pic rem 644 Canyon Road | 505-982-6686
Robert J. Kelly rem 229 Camino Del Norte | 505-983-3590
Ronnie Layden Fine Art Gallery rem 901 Canyon Road | 505-995-9783
Willis F Lee pic 20 Arroyo Calabasas | 505-982-1115
Lisa Kristine Gallery rem 204 West San Francisco Street | 505-820-6330
Monroe Gallery of Photography rem 112 Don Gaspar | 505-992-0800
Nedra Matteucci Fine Art pic 555 Canyon Road | 505-983-2731
New Concept Gallery pic 610 A Canyon Road | 505-795-7570
Photo-Eye Gallery rem 376-A Garcia Street | 505-988-5159
The Rainbow Man pic 107 East Palace Ave | 505-982-8706
Ford Robbins pic 7 Monte Alto Court | 505-466-7665
Santa Fe Society of Artists pic Juried Exhibitions and Outdoor Fine Art Festivals | 505-474-4223
Scheinbaum & Russek, Ltd. rem By appointment | 505-988-5116
Sherwoods Spirit of America rem 1005 Paseo de Peralta | 505-988-1776
Verve Gallery of Photography rem 219 East Marcy Street | 505-982-5009
Victoria Price Art & Design rem 1512 Pacheco St., Building B | 505-982-8632
Windsor Betts Art Brokerage House rem 136 Grant Avenue | 505-820-1234
Winterowd Fine Art pic 701 Canyon Road | 505-992-8878

Taos

Kimosabe rem 108 Teresina Lane | 575-758-8826
Brazos Fine Art rem 119 Bent Street | 575-758-0767
Henningsen Fine Art rem 235 Morada Lane | 575-758-1434
Parks Gallery rem 127-A Bent Street | 575-751-0343
Taos Art Online rem 1210B Salazar Road | 575-758-5535
H Ann Wyndham pic By appointment in Taos | 575-737-9722
Aggie Villanueva rem P.O. Box 223 - Gallina, NM | 505-289-0408

RESOURCE LISTS UPDATED WHEN VIEWED | ARTICLE CONTENT REVISED September 22, 2008

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