The Granite Avatars of Patagonia. This item is unavailable.The Granite Avatars of Patagonia

This exceptional book documents three seasons of adventure hiking, camping, backpacking and photographing in the Patagonian Andes. Author/photographer Reed spent significant parts of 2006 through 2008 exploring around El Chaltén, the Argentine village closes to the magnificent granite spires of Patagonia. The book primarily documents Reed s explorations to find locations for artistic compositions while creating portraits of the two legendary 3000-meter peaks, Cerro Torre and El Chaltén, also known as Mount Fitz Roy. Reed has created a unique book that successfully and powerfully evokes some of the world s most spectacular and awe-inspiring sights. Indeed the theme of the text is awe. Reed s large format black and white art photographs, powerfully composed, provide the focal point, drawing the reader in with their breathtaking power. The text appears on the facing pages with small color photographs, mostly of wildflowers, inset, allowing the reader to be further drawn in by the splashes of color and the clear, large-font text that displays Reeds personable reminiscences of his explorations and the multitude of thoughts they arose. Reed s book crosses many genres. Appealing to a wide range of people, from world-class climbers, avid explorers, world-trekkers and backpackers to fans of art and photography, ecotheologians, and folks who just love nature. The book has a cross-cultural, Pacific rim quality thanks to its South American subject matter, a strong Japanese influence in Reed s photographic composition and book design, and his history of exploring extensively in both Alaska and California. Reed uses a red stamp, or chop, not only to identify the artist, but as a finishing touch to the composition in the tradition of Asian black ink painting. All these factors combine to make a gorgeous book that anyone, or any store, should be glad to share.