Nate Harris - New Mexico, United States

Silkscreen print, edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist, unframed

Destination: New Mexico, United States

Date: 7 - 12 February, 2022

Jaunt #080

approx. 27.5"h x 19.75"w, 70cm x 50cm

“To shake up the pace and scale of city life, I was most looking forward to driving in an open landscape. I felt that this was a simple enough expectation that would allow for a lot of surprise and spontaneity within. I followed the advice of friends who’ve reached out with tips and thanks to their help there was never a time where I didn’t feel a sense of adventure. I was surprised by the diversity of landscape and how quickly it would change from desert to dense pine forest. In only a matter of a half hour drive, it would change from 60 degrees Fahrenheit to half of that with snow on the ground. I found it to be amazing that a single state could be so diverse.

I couldn’t help but take notice of the intensity of the sun and the shadows it casted during the whole trip. How it shaped the landscape at different parts of the day was unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I’d hike up a trail in the morning and the valley would look completely different as when I hiked down in the afternoon because of the shadows it casted on the rocks and foliage. It felt natural to follow the rhythm of the sun.

During the long drives, which I mostly made towards the end of the day, I was really able to note the subtle changes in color as the sun sets. The artwork depicts the way the sun created a rainbow like halo effect on the mountain ranges in the distance. As the sky’s hues changed from blue to pink to orange, the mountains became black in silhouette. I envisioned this visual as a woodcut and, employing the process that I’ve recently been exploring, I cut up the design to add a layer of abstraction to the piece.”

-Nate Harris