An Examination of the Legacy and Archives of the RBMVExpedition
A note from Artist Hans Baumann…

This project is the culmination of an approximately 18-month period in 2019 and 2020 studying the archives of the Rainbow Bridge-Monument Valley Expedition (RBMVE). The project is structured around my interactions with this data and places in the present day. I use the format of a handmade art book to attempt to contextualize the legacy of the Expedition from my (contemporary) perspective as an artist with a deep interest in the land.

All materials for this project – paper, inks, binding, clay – are archival quality. This was my initial criteria for any material selection, as it is critical that this book be durable and have a viable trajectory (as an object) into the future. The book’s enclosure is a ceramic slipcase and I am currently experimenting with a variety of additives and finishes to a clay such that the ceramic will feel somewhere between Navajo sandstone and the sort of charred wood or cookware that have been found at the numerous archaeological sites in the Canyon. 


Visit www.hbaumann.com for more information on the artist. Stay tuned for the full reveal of “An Examination of the Legacy and Archives of the RBMVExpedition”! We are looking forward to sharing the final artwork with you.