Near Ghost Ranch

Gordon Louis Mortensen

Among the natural landscapes Gordon Mortensen was drawn to, Ghost Ranch and its surrounds in Abiquiu, New Mexico, was one that he returned to frequently, finding in its seasonal turns - and their respective flora - a unique and ever-changing palette. Ghost Ranch is a 21,000 acre retreat located near Abiquiu in North-central New Mexcio, 50 miles north of Santa Fe and was the home and studio of artist Georgia O'Keefe.

In this composition, he captures the waves of golden native grasses and blossoming salvias that come alive in late summer. Fed by seasonal monsoons, the flora on the desert floor softens the harsh landscape, stretching between the dramatic, layered geological make-up of surrounding mesas, their hues as varied as a sunset. Still more color is found in the strip of deep green cutting through the center of the image - a stand of pinyon pine. The image is peaceful, warm, and inviting.

To create the subtle gradations of color in this image, Mortensen used a single block and forty-two different colors with thirty-seven press runs.

Gordon Mortensen commented on the process he uses:

After the first printing the block is again cut, removing any surface of the block that is to remain the first color in the finished print. After each subsequent color is printed, the block is cut, the process continues until the print is finished and most of the surface of the block is cut away."