John Fielder’s favorite place in Colorado the focus of upcoming exhibit
Sunlight Basin in Weminuche Wilderness is the focus of an upcoming John Fielder exhibit at the History Colorado Center.
Photo courtesy of John Fielder
In a lifetime of photographing every square mile of Colorado from peaks to plains, as John Fielder has claimed, it would seem impossible to choose a favorite place.
But that is the promise of a new exhibit coming to the History Colorado Center in downtown Denver. It’s called “REVEALED: John Fielder’s Favorite Place.”
Starting Saturday, July 22, visitors are invited to virtually explore “a location that few have ever experienced,” according to a news release, “a location that Fielder feels is the most sublime in all of Colorado.”
The location is Sunlight Basin deep in western Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness. Fielder has long spoken fondly of the wilderness, considered the state’s most remote reaches.
John Fielder met this mountain goat while photographing the Weminuche Wilderness.
courtesy of John Fielder
John Fielder met this mountain goat while photographing the Weminuche Wilderness.
John Fielder’s lifetime of Colorado photography can now be viewed online
Choosing a favorite place, Fielder said, “was merely a function of evoking” what he calls his “geologic psychology.” He explained that with his favorite sensations of nature above treeline: “the sounds of cascading water, the steely taste of snowmelt, the cold sensation on the fingertips of water just off the snow, the smell of the alpine, tundra flowers wafting across my face.”
The purpose of the exhibit, he said, “is to manifest the place.”
That’ll be with large prints of the particular journey tp Sunlight Basin, which Fielder said he first made alongside a pack llama in the 1980s. Also for the exhibit and others to come as part of History Colorado’s collaboration with Fielder, the photographer donated some belongings from over 40 years of adventure. That includes clothing, footwear, assorted gear and camera equipment before the digital days.
“And my written recipe for my favorite backcountry dinner recipe,” Fielder said. “Ramen noodles with cream cheese.”
The “REVEALED” exhibit follows the man’s donation of more than 6,500 photos to the public domain; History Colorado previously announced organizing the collection, which is now available online.
In a news release, History Colorado President and CEO Dawn DiPrince called the exhibit “just the beginning of the inspirational exhibitions and displays that will come about as a result of John’s incredible gift to the people of Colorado.”
John Fielder at his home in Summit County. Fielder is a nationally famed nature photographer who has been capturing the beauty of Colorado’s wild landscapes for over 40 years through his iconic photographs. Fielder is also a teacher, publisher and environmentalist.
The Gazette file
John Fielder at his home in Summit County. Fielder is a nationally famed nature photographer who has been capturing the beauty of Colorado’s wild landscapes for over 40 years through his iconic photographs. Fielder is also a teacher, publisher and environmentalist.
10 favorite photos from John Fielder’s career across Colorado
As part of the early promotions, “why not make it a little more sensational and have me show them the best of the best,” Fielder said of the thinking for “REVEALED.”
He recognized “the sensitivity of what’s inherent of me revealing the best of all places,” he said.
He recognized the problem in his broader donation: “We do need to be conscious of how many people we invite to specific places, especially those that are fragile.”
The subject of “REVEALED” seemed fitting for its immensely rugged and remote quality, he said. Sunlight Basin is a location that “few have ever experienced,” as History Colorado indicated — and a location few will ever attempt experiencing, Fielder suspected.
“The best of the best can influence (viewers), I think, like it influenced me along the way … to motivate others and protect what’s left of biodiversity,” he said. “I know there’s a fine line. But I think people deserve to be admonished, and at the same time they deserve to see the best of the best.”
Colorado’s most famous nature photographer donates life work to public domain