California Eastern
1998
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image/sheet: 19 × 24.3 cm (7 1/2 × 9 9/16 in.) mount: 40.5 × 50.7 cm (15 15/16 × 19 15/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of John Divola
Accession Number
2016.50.5
Art Historical Context
Mark Ruwedel's *California Eastern* (199) is a captivating gelatin silver print from the National Gallery of Art collection, generously gifted by fellow photographer Johnola. Measuring a modest 19 × 24.3 cm (7 1/2 × 9 9/16 in.) on its sheet and mounted to 40.5 × 50.7 cm (15 15/16 × 19 15/16 in.), this intimate-scale photograph exemplifies late-20th-century darkroom artistry at a time when digital imaging was emerging. The gelatin silver process, using light-sensitive silver salts suspended in gelatin, delivers exceptional tonal range—from velvety blacks to crisp highlights—allowing Ruwedel to...
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...