Bison No. 2 - Limited Edition 2 of 25 Photograph

In this series I combine photographs I take of animals and vintage wallpapers. I travel to abandoned homesteads, gritty ghost towns, and buildings dripping with history to photograph these exquisite wallpapers - these glorious relics of an effort made by people who wished to enjoy a simple bit of beauty inside their dwelling on the harsh and hostile American frontier. But time has had its way with these buildings, and in my own way, I take comfort in helping the grace and grandeur of these relics to live on. {see the short video of the story behind this series on the home page of my website} Pictured is a bison I photographed at the National Bison Range in western Montana. The pattern is a photograph I took of vintage wallpaper in an abandoned home in the ghost town of Bannack, Montana. The Roe/Graves House was built in 1866 and in addition to living there, William Roe operated a general store and meat market from the home. Roe was one of the Vigilantes who captured and hung the crooked Sheriff Henry Plummer and members of his secret gang, known as Road Agents, in 1864. The solid colored background is the painted walls of the abandoned Hotel Meade, also in Bannack, which was founded in 1862 after gold was discovered there. It is printed on exquisite Belgian linen which provides a tactile texture and incredible detail. This particular linen has inherent imprefections in the way it is woven. Therefore each print has its own unique texture, unlike traditional photographic paper in which the prints are identical to one another. The custom frame is made of solid hardwood maple and is rubbed with Danish oil to create a subtle, contemporary look which compliments this piece.