Caliente and Pioche
2002
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image/sheet: 19 × 24.1 cm (7 1/2 × 9 1/2 in.) mount: 40.6 × 50.8 cm (16 × 20 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of J. Patrick and Patricia A. Kennedy
Accession Number
2020.163.6
Art Historical Context
Mark Ruwedel's *Caliente and Pioche (2002) is a striking gelatin silver print that captures the stark beauty of the American West This traditional black-and-white photographic medium prized for its rich tonal range and fine detail, allows Ruwedel to evoke a sense of timelessness in his images. Measuring 19 × 24.1 cm on a larger 40.6 × 50.8 cm mount, the invites close contemplation, much like peering into a historical diorama. The title references two remote Nevada towns—Caliente, a former railroad hub, and Pioche, a notorious 19th-century silver mining boomtown known for its lawless past and ...
About the Artist
Mark Ruwedel
Mark Ruwedel, born on June 11, 1954, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, initially pursued painting, earning a BFA from Kutztown State College in 1978. He transitioned to photography during this time, later obtaining an MFA from Concordia University in Montreal in 1983. Working as a custom printer in Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1980 honed his technical skills before he relocated to Canada, where he taught a...