Prometheus – Ancient Bristlecone is one of Muench’s most prized images, as one can tell in the physical exhibit by its large print size and unique frame. It contains everything that makes a photograph distinctly David Muench: depth, dynamic leading lines, a dramatic sky, and a vibrant color palette. The implied parallel lines of the rocky ground and the tree line intersect with the horizontally layered mountains in the lower left corner. This is one of the few photographs featured in The Allure of Light which Muench did not strictly name by its subject or location. Instead, the picture’s title is likely a reference to a different bristlecone pine tree in Great Basin National Park which was cut down in 1964 or the the figure from Greek mythology.
Muench often returned to shoot bristlecone pines in the White Mountains of California, preferring the sculptural forms of the bristlecones over the straight-trunked aspen. He considers his bristlecone pictures to be his best. Muench’s love for this particular tree is clear in the care he has taken in the framing and composition of Prometheus, as well as in its lively colors.
This photograph is one of three original Muench-produced framed prints in the physical exhibit displayed on a temporary basis due to preservation concerns.
Prometheus was displayed in the exhibits Boundless Vision (2008) at G2 Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Timeless Moments (2016) at Christopher Webster Enterprises on the Santa Fe Plaza, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Taken in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, White Mountains, California.