Mark Ruwedel papers
name: label: Creator
content: Ruwedel, Mark, 1954-
label: Names
content: Adams, Robert, 1937-
topic: label: Occupation
content: Educators -- California -- Los Angeles
label: Occupation
content: Photographers -- California -- Los Angeles
label: Topic
content: Railroads -- United States
label: Topic
content: Landscape photography
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated in 2024 by Mark Ruwedel.
creator: label: Creator
content: Ruwedel, Mark, 1954-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Mark Ruwedel papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of photographer and educator Mark Ruwedel (1954- ) measure 4.0 linear feet and 1.06 gigabytes and date from circa 1964-2024, with the bulk of the material from circa 1980-2024. Included are photographs by Ruwedel, artist books, exhibition and research files. Also included are correspondence and writings relating to Ruwedel's projects that involve the Canadian and American West, railroad development, photographic surveys, and the urban landscape of Los Angeles.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Mark Ruwedel (1954-) is a photographer and arts educator originally based in Canada, now in Los Angeles, California. 

Born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Ruwedel received his B.F.A. in 1978 from Kutztown State College and his M.F.A. from Concordia University in Montreal in 1983. While mostly photographing in Los Angeles and the western region of the United States, Ruwedel maintains a presence in Canada, specifically British Columbia. 

Early in his career, he worked as a documentary photographer for the King County Office of Historic Preservation in Seattle, WA. His work centers on human interventions on the landscape, including habitations, railroads, and nuclear weapons, revealing traces of geological processes along the way. In 2014 he was awarded both a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Scotiabank Photography Award. He has also been awarded artist residencies through PASTA in Joshua Tree and the Center for Land Use Interpretation's Wendover Studio along with multiple travel and project grants. His work is influenced by fellow photographer Robert Adams, and artists Ed Ruscha, Robert Smithson, and Robert Irwin.

Often, Ruwedel will publish artist books to accompany certain photographic series. Some of these books include The Hanford Stretch and The Italian Navigator which both deal with the history of nuclear test sites. Westward the Course of Empire focuses on railroad construction in the West and Studio (E.R.) documents studio spaces used by Ed Ruscha throughout Los Angeles.

Ruwedel has been a dedicated professor of art as an associate professor at his alma mater, Concordia University, from 1984 to 2001 and is currently a Professor of Art at California State University, Long Beach. His work can be found in the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Canada, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and TATE Modern, among others.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 4 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 1.06 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1964-2024
label: Date
content: bulk 1980-2024
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.ruwemark
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 8 series.

Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1984-2020 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 2: Writings, circa 1983-2022 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1 and 6; 0.615 Gigabytes: ER0007)

Series 3: Exhibition Files, circa 1993-2019 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1 and 6; 0.447 Gigabytes: ER0001-ER0006)

Series 4: Research Files, circa 1964-2014 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1 and 6)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, circa 1986-2020 (0.5 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1978-2024 (1.0 Linear feet: Boxes 1-2, OV 7)

Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1975-2022 (0.1 Linear feet: Boxes 2-3 and 6)

Series 8: Artwork, circa 1988-2024 (1.6 Linear feet: Boxes 3-6)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Sam Neat in 2025.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of photographer Mark Ruwedel (1954- ) measure 4.0 linear feet and 1.06 gigabytes and date from circa 1964-2024, with the bulk of the material from circa 1980-2024. 

Correspondence is professional and personal in nature and consists of letters from gallerists, museums, and former students. Also found are letters from photographer Robert Adams and postcards sent from Ruwedel to his wife Corrine Corry. Writings include Ruwedel's MFA thesis, interviews, articles, sketchbooks containing artist book notes, and one digital video recording. Exhibition files contain contracts, letters with galleries, loan agreements, installation notes, and press and announcements for shows. Also included are digital photographs of exhibition installations. Research files include maps, geological surveys, and compiled quotes for Ruwedel's Pictures of Hell series. Personal business records consist of teaching material, awards, travel documentation, and annotated calendars. Printed material includes books including work by Ruwedel, travel books, artist books, clippings, exhibition posters and announcements, as well as reviews. Photographic material consists of photographs of Ruwedel, photographs related to Robert Smithson, and miscellaneous images. Artwork series includes study prints for multiple photographic series, and artist book sketches and proofs as well as one photogravure.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: The Stanford University Department of Special Collections and University Archives also holds papers of Mark Ruwedel.