This is a large reduction woodcut by an acknowledged master of this medium artist Gordon Mortensen. Mortensen is still working, but this is from his early period just as he was coming to national attention. The subject is the Badlands, a favorite of Mortensen who is from North Dakota. Rather than showing the somewhat monochromatic imagery one might expect, Mortensen's scene shows the Badlands at it's most vibrant--after a spring or summer rain when it is in full bloom. The greens, purples, and blues carpet the land softening the harshness hinted at by the hill to the left of the image. The seen is set against purple mountains and a light blue sky with clouds pushing up over the mountains. A beautiful depiction of this quintessential American National Park. The piece is framed with the framed size given above. The image itself is 18.25 x 12 inches. It is signed in pencil lower right Gordon Mortensen '76. The title is lower left and the edition is lower center 22/115 all in pencil. The mat is not archival. The woodcut is in excellent condition with vibrant colors and no fading, toning, foxing, stains, tears, or paper loss visible. It has not been examined out of the frame. The frame is in good condition. An excellent example of this noted artist's early work.
Gordon Mortensen (b. 1938)
Gordon Mortensen was born in North Dakota. He received his artistic training in Minneapolis first at the Minneapolis School of Art (BFA) then at the University of Minnesota (MFA). He is one of the premier reduction woodcut artists in the United States. His work is complex and can use up to 64 colors giving a painterly finish to the work. He works from watercolor paintings to create his woodcuts. His initial work was focused on Midwest themes and he sold regionally. However, in the mid-70s he became nationally known through participation in national exhibitions including the Brooklyn Museum National Print Exhibition. He has been associated with many printmaking groups including the Boston Printmakers, the Albany Print Club and the Print Club of Rochester, New York. He has had exhibitions all over the country and his work is held in many major collections including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Chicago Art Institute, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco among many others.
Mortensen has this to say about his work, “Only one woodblock is used. On it an image is drawn in India ink. Before the first color is printed, any areas that are to remain unprinted (white or the color of the paper) are cut away from the surface of the block. Then an oil base ink is used to print the first color on all of the sheets of paper that are to be used for the edition and proofs. 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."