Craig Varjabedian | Into the Great White Sands

Over a five year period, Craig Varjabedian photographed White Sands National Monument. He worked in color rather than his usual black and white, and the results are stunning. The University of New Mexico Press published a monograph of the work, and it was a New Mexico-Arizona Book Award winner.

Varjabedian is very sensitive to what he calls “the power of place.” The monument is located at the northern end of the Chihuahuan desert and is the largest surface deposit of gypsum sand in the world. It’s almost completely surrounded by military facilities. Varjabedian observes, “I want the land to tell the story, not for me to show what I think of the land.”

He was born in Canada in 1957 and has lived in Santa Fe for decades. He has been awarded various grants, one being from the National Endowment for the Arts. He has authored several books, and his work is in many private and public collections. He has been in numerous one-person museum shows.

Limited-edition, superb archival ink pigment prints, made by Varjabedian himself, are available in the three sizes featured in the show. 26 x 30 inches: $1,475, 30 x 39 inches: $3,745, and 40 x 51 inches: $6,850.

Red Sky and Dunes at Sunset, Autumn, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Pastel Dune and Mountain

Pastel Dune and Mountains, Spring, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Iodine Bush on Alkali Flats

Iodine Bush on Alkali Flats facing Dune Field, Summer, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Slipface of Dune with Ripples

Slipface of Dune with Ripples, Spring, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Sand Verbena

Sand Verbena and Indian Rice Grass, Spring, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Yucca on Dune

Yucca on Dune and Approaching Storm Clouds, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Yucca with Sun Rays

Yucca with Sun Rays, Autumn, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Rising Clouds over Dunes

Rising Clouds over Dunes, Sunset, Autumn, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Farewell Sunset

Fairwell Sunset, Spring, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Cottonwood Tree at Sunrise

Cottonwood Tree at Sunrise, Winter, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Cottonwood Tree and Milky Way

Cottonwood Tree and Milky Way, Blue Hour, Autumn, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian, Under a Crescent Moon

Under a Crescent Moon, Twilight, September 26, 2014, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Craig Varjabedian Into the Great White Sands

Craig Varjabedian

Into the Great White Sands