Over the course of seven winters, James Florio hiked up the hill to Inverted Portal 482 times with an 8×10 large format camera. The first few journeys were unintentional—he was drawn by the site’s magnetism. Soon, however, it became a pilgrimage.
James climbed again and again, through snow and cold, in light and dark, in silence and in nature’s deafening roar, to the top of the hill. Listening to the sound of the mountain and witnessing the land’s infinite change, it was the wind that decided if an image would be made. It set the tempo, dictating the time spent there, the light as it reflected off the sculpture, the force of the weather that engulfed us.
The only way to create these images was to be there in all of it. These thirty-six views tell the story of what is possible—but equally—what isn’t.
Designed by Anna Mort and Rick Valicenti, Thirtysix Views presents thirty-six views of Ensamble Studio’s Inverted Portal at Tippet Rise Art Center, Montana. The set of three books with cloth cover is presented inside a custom-designed slipcase. The accordion-style books can be enjoyed as a traditional book or displayed in full without the covers.
There are two versions of the book available for purchase:
– Standard: Includes Thirtysix Views of Inverted Portal.
– Box Set: Includes Thirtysix Views of Inverted Portal with a special custom-designed book box as well as a choice of five “37th Views” made after the printing of the book. There are five different pairs of artist-made prints to select from.
A box set edition with a 16″ x 20″ limited edition artist-made print by photographer James Florio will be available soon.
Book Details
Total Run: 500 copies
Pages: 14 pages per book
Size: 11.5 inches x 9.5 inches
Slipcase: 12.625 inches x 10.25
ISBN: 978-1-7367436-2-1
Photography: James Florio
Design: Anna Mort and Rick Valicenti
Typeface: Fold Grotesque by Tom Baber
Printing and Binding: Trifolio, Verona, Italy
This work was made possible through the help and generous support of a long-term artist residency at Tippet Rise Art Center in Fishtail, Montana.
Go to our SHOP page for more information and to purchase any of the three versions of the book.
