Peter Rutledge Koch.
Berkeley, California: Editions Koch, 2005

A portfolio of digital pigment prints assembled from historic photographs and documents; the manuscript journals and papers of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Elers Koch; and short legends by the artist hand-set in lead type. The prints are accompanied by texts selected from the writings of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Ross Cox, William T. Horniday, L.A. Huffman, Elers Koch and others. A preface by Rick Newby, an introduction by Griff Williams, and a statement (writings) by the artist complete the portfolio.

Nature Morte was originally commissioned in exhibition print format by the Holter Museum in Helena, Montana on the occasion of the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition 1804-1805.

The images are printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag by Urban Digital Color in San Francisco and the title engraving and texts are printed letterpress on Hahnemühle Copperplate by Peter Koch. The portfolio boxes are linen paneled with a stamped quarter leather spine and made by John DeMerritt in Emeryville, California.

The portfolio consists of eleven images printed on 16 by 22 inch sheets in a landscape format and slipped into folios on which are printed the accompanying texts. The title page, documentation, and essays are printed on loose folios and housed with the images in a sturdy clamshell box. A suite of exhibition prints of the entire text may be special ordered in sheets to facilitate wall hanging. The title page collage/engraving was hand-colored at the press by Susan Filter. Each portfolio is signed and numbered by the artist and each image is signed on the reverse.

Please also see the PDF prospectus of Nature Morte.

Portfolio; 11 prints,    22 x 16 inches    edition of 25. O.P.       $inquire