Sacred Places poster

[Kirk Gittings]

Some of the most satisfying work I do is for historic preservation. Sometimes this is in the form of documenting threatened structures, sometimes a HABS report (Historic American Building Survey) and sometimes it is simply contributing my work to benefit historic preservation organizations and projects. In this situation it is the annual poster for New Mexico Historic Preservation Month of the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Division, Office of Cultural Affairs. This is the third time third time I have had the pleasure of seeing my work on this poster. The image they selected this time for the Sacred Places theme is of the Upper Morada in Abiquiu, just up the hill from Georgia O'Keefe's house. "The Way of the Cross", Upper Morada, Abiquiu, New Mexico, 1988.

I will be signing these at the Heritage Preservation Awards Ceremony this Saturday at the Santa Fe Convention Center 2-5pm.

[BarryS]

Congratulations--that's a stunning image.

[redrockcoulee]

Great photo and a great contribution.

[Kirk Gittings]

Thanks guys.

[David Karp]

Beautiful.

[Merg Ross]

Well seen and composed, a case for the square format. Congrats!

Was the tint introduced for the poster, or is that your conception?

[Kirk Gittings]

Merg, thanks. It was a suggestion of the designer for the duotone and I agreed with it after seeing the mock-up, but I had them dial it back some. I have fooled with split toning off and on and sometimes like the effect.

[Vaughn]

Sweet image, Kirk! Looks like they did a great job with the poster.

Vaughn

[Merg Ross]

Merg, thanks. It was a suggestion of the designer for the duotone and I agreed with it after seeing the mock-up, but I had them dial it back some. I have fooled with split toning off and on and sometimes like the effect.

The result is effective, nicely done. Hope you get a good crowd on Saturday.

[John Kasaian]

Very nice!

[cjbroadbent]

Super poster, Kirk. It would be great to see more.

[Monty McCutchen]

That's a really beautiful image Kirk.

Monty

[Michael Mutmansky]

Awesome image Kirk, congratulatons. Where can we get a signed poster? Are you taking orders?


---Michael

[Daniel Grenier]

Congrats and praises in order. I work in High Tech photography where nothing is older than 5 minutes and where everything is the latest "trend". I'd trade that in a minute for heritage and conservation photography (sigh !) Oh well.... glad to see you're doing it, Kirk. Good for you and I love the poster.

[Renato Tonelli]

Yes indeed! It is a beautiful image and the poster is suitable for framing. Congratulations!

[Kirk Gittings]

FWIW, Interesting question from a duplicate post over at Luminous Landscape about aesthetics and historic preservation in New Mexico.

"Kirk, Splendid stuff. Anyone ever figure out why they put that damn gas meter on the side of the church at Ranches de Taos? I, along with millions of others, have pictures of that church going back to the early sixties. It never ceases to amaze me that they did that. It's hardly what I'd call historic preservation."

FWIW, I used to be a member of a committee for historic preservation with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The Taos church was within our jurisdiction. As the church restoration and maintenance is done by local volunteers with donations, the committee was not likely to intervene unless something unsafe was being done. The locals prioity was always very pragmatic. I felt like I was the sole person concerned with aesthetics (for obvious reasons) and frankly aesthetics were a very low priority for the committee as a whole considering the magnitude of the structural issues etc. A few classic churches collapsed in the 70's and 80's. There were some 800 historic churches in the A of Santa Fe and resources were very low and spread very thin.

[Chauncey Walden]

Great shot Kirk! Congratulations on the poster.

[Steve Sherman]

Congrats Kirk,

Very nice image and well done poster

[al olson]

Beautiful composition, Kirk.

It is too bad I have other obligations Saturday evening or I would drive down to see it and get a signed copy. Maybe I will try to work something in anyway, but I would be looking at about 5 hours round trip.

Congratulations! They have made a superb selection.

[Brian Schall]

Kirk

As always, an intense composition. That's what I like about your work.

Brian

[Arne Croell]

Very nice image, Kirk. Did you have somebody ring the bell or is it resting in that tilted position?

[MIke Sherck]

I figure it's a long shot but I sent off an e-mail to what seemed like an appropriate person in New Mexico to see if I could get them to send me one. Not signed, alas, and I don't know whether they'll oblige, but it was worth asking, I think.

Mike

[Bruce Schultz]

I'd like to get one too.

[Kirk Gittings]

Very nice image, Kirk. Did you have somebody ring the bell or is it resting in that tilted position?

Fascinating. Great question. In twenty years of living with that image, printing it, exhibiting it, publishing it, I have never asked myself why the bell at rest is at that angle. I have no clue, but am very glad it was.

[Diane Maher]

The next time you're out there, you are going to look, right? ;)

The image is very good too.

[MIke Sherck]

If you want a copy of the poster, send an e-mail with your mailing address to: tom.drake@state.nm.us,

Tom is the designer of the poster and a public outreach officer for New Mexico. He seems tickled to hear that folks want a copy, so be nice! :)

Mike

[Kirk Gittings]

At the awards banquet tonight (I have to admit I was flattered by all the attention) where I was signing the poster, Katherine Slick, the head of the State Historic Preservation office, mentioned with pride that they were getting requests from out of state for the poster.
Also as printed the poster is a bit different from the mockup above. The layout of the Sacred Places type is more centered and the duotone split tone is far more subdued. I like how it actually turned out.