Tecopa
1996
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
gelatin silver print
Dimensions
image/sheet: 18.8 × 24.2 cm (7 3/8 × 9 1/2 in.) mount: 40.64 × 50.8 cm (16 × 20 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Peter T. Barbur
Accession Number
2012.103.1
Art Historical Context
Mark Ruwedel's *Tecopa* (1996) is a striking gelatin silver print that captures the essence of the American West's rugged landscapes. Measuring 18.8 × 24.2 cm on a larger 40.64 × 50.8 cm mount, this photograph exemplifies Ruwedel's masterful black-and-white documentation of remote deserts and human-altered terrains. Named after Tecopa, a historic California desert community near Death Valley known for its hot springs and mining past, the image invites viewers to contemplate the quiet endurance of places shaped by settlement and abandonment. Gelatin silver prints, like this one produced throug...
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...