Fort Rock Lake: Cougar Mountain Cave Cougar Mountain, Worked Obsidian, Newberry Volcanic Material
1996, printed 2004
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
2 gelatin silver prints
Dimensions
image/sheet (each): 37.2 × 48 cm (14 5/8 × 18 7/8 in.) mount: 60.96 × 121.92 cm (24 × 48 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of J. Patrick and Patricia A. Kennedy
Accession Number
2020.163.41
Art Historical Context
Mark Ruwedel's *Fort Rock Lake: Cou Mountain Cave Cougar Mountain Worked Obsidian, New Volcanic Material* (6, printed 2004) captures the subtle beauty of ancient artifacts through two meticulously crafted gelatin silver. Displayed side by side on a large (24 × 48), these black-and-white photographs document worked obsidian pieces—volcanic glass tools sourced from Oregon's Newberry Caldera—excavated from Cougar Mountain Cave near Fort Rock Lake. Ruwedel's precise compositions highlight the stone's glassy sheen and tool marks, transforming archaeological evidence into poetic meditations on human...
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...