RAYMOND MEEKS: Middle Air

From Raymond Meeks Artist Book Middle Air
Photograph (c) Raymond Meeks

From Raymond Meeks Artist Book Middle Air
Photograph (c) Raymond Meeks

Raymond Meeks Artist Book Middle Air

Memory is an undeniable force behind making art, the drive not to forget, documenting the events of our lives over and over again, longing to fill the void of what's missing.

+ + +

MIDDLE AIR is photographer Raymond Meeks sixteen page artist book that traces the routine cutting of a sparse section of lawn in the backyard of his home in rural Montana. The eleven photographs were printed in the order they were exposed from one roll of 120 mm film. Each book contains "elements" (drawings, markings, etc) unique to the moments prior to their preparation for shipping. Two silver gelatin prints (7.5 x 7.5") hand printed by Meeks and processed to archival standards, accompany the book. The pages are "french fold" and hand sewn by book artist Rory Sparks, in an edition of 40 books and prints.

Purchase MIDDLE AIR
About Raymond Meeks

RAYMOND MEEKS: Photolucida Seminar

Untitled. Photograph (c) Raymond Meeks

"We moved to Portland from our lovely rural life in Montana this past September. The timing seemed right for all of us. There's nothing poetic in this. It's still not home, that takes time, but a really great, caring community. "

+ + +

RAYMOND MEEKS photographs are masterful. His accomplished printing techniques have evolved over the years while working in platinum and silver metals, wet plate collodion and hand-applied surface preparation for digital printmaking. He's now come full circle and returned to printing primarily on silver gelatin from sheet and roll films.

Meeks recent work has been exploring a constantly shifting landscape, where dormant fields of reposed soil serve a restorative promise, a certain catharsis from our pasts and a metaphor to the synchronistic relationship between the health of the land and the condition of its inhabitants. He has incorporated some of these images into his latest edition of hand crafted original Artist Books as well as a new Nazraeli Press 'one picture book' titled Doctrine of an Axe which will be released in May, 2009.

Likeness of Reality, is six pages of original inkjet prints on uncoated paper, in an edition of 15, signed and numbered. All design, printing and binding is completed by Meeks. The book is wrapped in a thin waxed vellum. The book contains one of two inkjet prints. They are Meeks own technique of printing carbon inkjet prints on transparency film that he's specially conditioned to accept ink and backed with enamel. I've seen this print technique in the past and they are really beautiful and unique. As of now, one of the two prints that is included with this book is a choice, but as one print or the other sells out, this will not be a personal selection.

VIEW "Likeness of Reality" and print choices ($460.00)

TIME / PLACE: A SEMINAR WITH RAYMOND MEEKS

RAYMOND MEEKS workshop, in conjunction with Photolucida, is a special opportunity to explore the intuitive process with fine-art photographer Raymond Meeks. Meeks' attention to the intimate details of life and home, as well as poetry and the use of metaphor in his imagery will be the starting point for discussion, feedback, and response. This workshop is ideal for students wishing to cultivate a more emotional and organic response to the world through their image-making. Raymond Meeks Seminar Monday, April 27th 10am-4pm $175 Portland, OR Ph: # 503-963-1935

Raymond Meeks Website
An INTERVIEW with Darius Himes