Originally published on Mar 13, 2022
Baldy Mountain, NM
[baldy being pulled image]
Locations often hold a special place in our hearts. If you flip back through some of your core memories — your first concert, moving into your first apartment, the place where you got engaged — surely the scenes coming rushing back to you. We bury all of the details of that time away in our episodic memory to make our recollections of important moments as vivid as possible. This also means that, as this 2014 article from the Atlantic explains, locations quite literally hold a special place in our brains too.
That emotional and physical attachment to a space makes for one of my favorite commissions here at Cypress. And as with many others, Topo 007—Baldy Mountain is a print born out of wanting to capture a memory and share it with a loved one as a gift.
[image of transfer onto block]
After a friend of the shop reached out through the Cypress contact form, I got to work on drawing up the topography of the area. This one may have moved quickly, but it was just as tedious as it looks. Each line was hand carved late into the night over the course of a week.
[image of carved block]
This print really showed up to reinforce my love (see: obsession) for the way natural lines can unfold in topography. Baldy Mountain may just look like a bold, standalone peak from photos, but the story of meandering ridge lines and hugely abrupt changes in elevation presented itself proudly the more I carved into this block. It’s almost dizzying when inked up.
[image of inked block]
The final print is made up of these implied, snaking lines that become more apparent the further you step back. One friend described it as ‘magic eye’ art. Even I’ll admit that I keep touching the print thinking that I might feel the spines of the mountain.
[image of final print]
Whether it’s an appeal to empathy or just the late night delirium of a printmaker, Baldy Mountain now holds a little place in my heart too. And thanks to the original commissioner, this is a print that you too can check out in person, fall in love with, and hang in your own place too.
Happy belated birthday, Tucker. I hope it was a special one 😊
[image of baldy mountain detail
Featured work
[baldy mountain purchase link]
12” x 18” on cotton paper with a color somewhere between teal and a New Mexico turquoise, there are about 20 of these limited prints.
Playing in the studio
[https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWV7EzJMK2FUI?si=92f1208731e748d3]
The shop has been flooded with jazz again lately. But with being much too busy to mess with flipping records or to get distracted with trumpet solos, I’ve defaulted to playlist from Spotify called Jazz in the Background. It also makes for a good, noise cancelled walk to decompress if that’s your kind of thing.
If you’re interested in commissions or collaborating on an original piece together, reply to this email and we’ll start the conversation!