Go on a Road Trip to the Southwest

Although COVID-19 has limited travel, the artworks in the exhibition, Gustave Baumann: Colorful Cuts allow us to journey to the American Southwest, where artist Gustave Baumann spent most of his life. Before we begin, the key to any trip is to prepare through research and planning. In this case, we’ll focus on the work of the artist who inspired this road trip.

Born in Magdeburg, Germany in 1881, Baumann immigrated to Chicago in 1891 with his family. Baumann returned to Germany in 1905 to attend art school where he learned how to make color woodcuts and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1918 where he remained until he died in 1971. He was enchanted with the beautiful scenery and bright light of the region where he traveled extensively in search of subject matter for his prints. He developed his own modernist style and by 1920 he was prominent in the revival of the woodcut in America.

“Baumann was an exemplary craftsman who performed all the work making woodcuts himself,” says Jane Glaubinger, guest curator and former CMA Curator of Prints. “He cut a block for each color, fabricated inks, chose paper carefully, and printed without assistants.”

“The prints are both intimate and expansive — and universal,” says Tom Leech, press director at the Palace of the Governors. “We all would love to walk into those scenes. Wouldn’t it be nice to spend an afternoon in a Baumann woodcut?” Leech offers more insight in a New Mexico PBS video on Baumann’s work. It is with this in mind that we may begin our road trip.

What would a road trip be without some tunes? Listen to CMA’s Road Trip to the Southwest playlist on Spotify.

Our first stop is San Geronimo Taos. Baumann’s artwork captures the annual festival of San Geronimo, held on September 30, in the Taos Pueblo. It is a fiesta to celebrate the harvest. Baumann included Native Americans in his some of his prints out of deep respect for the traditions and customs of the culture.

Talaya Peak is our second stop. It is a mountain located just east of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Look afar from Baumann’s point of view, or go on a hiking adventure up the mountain. This popular destination for hikers and mountain bikers is 9,125 feet high. Enjoy beautiful views all the way up the 5.2 mile loop hike with 1,640 feet in elevation gain.

Next is Malapai, or Malpaís which means “badlands” in Spanish. You have arrived at El Malpais National Monument. The landscape is a result of ancient lava flows within a basin surrounded by sandstone bluffs that have been eroded by wind and water into new formations. El Malpaís offers a little bit of everything: a scenic drive, a walk through trees, or a hike over lava flows.

On to our fourth stop at the Grand Canyon, which Baumann first visited in 1919. Glaubinger comments that he was “awestruck by the dramatic light effects and exquisite colors but found them elusive and frustrating to capture.” Baumann’s Grand Canyon depicts the vast wonder of the area and the play of light and shadow on the landscape. Using a total of five blocks to print six colors, Baumann captures the Grand Canyon during a fleeting rainstorm.

Finally, we have reached the last stop on our road trip is Sequoia Forest. Did you know that the Sequoia National Forest in southern California covers over 1.1 million acres? This area is home to Giant Sequoias, the world’s largest trees.

Have you visited any of these spots? Share your experiences and photos in the comments below. As your final destination, come to the CMA to visit the exhibition, Gustave Baumann: Colorful Cuts, for a relaxing in-person escape to the Southwest and to view the rest of the collection. The exhibition is on view through June 27 with a timed-reservation ticket.