Peter Hay Halpert Fine Art represents & exhibits a select group of contemporary artists working with photography & video.

Raymond Bleesz, Taos, Mt Wheeler NM '83

Raymond Bleesz – Travels Through Rural America

Vail local photographer Raymond Bleesz has teamed up with Peter Hay Halpert Fine Art to create a limited edition set of 14 photographs. Titled “Travels Through Rural America,” the series includes pictures taken in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, as well as Virginia, over a period ranging from 1972 to 2026. 6 of the 14 photographs were taken in Eagle County. 



The images are printed on Hahnemuhle fine art photographic paper. The renowned paper maker, based in Germany, has been producing fine papers for artists since 1584. For almost 450 years, their product has represented the epitome of paper for artists, prized for their heavy weight, centuries-old formulas, and perfectionist standards. 



Bleesz has lived in Colorado since 1970. He is a founding member of the Vail Valley Art Guild Photographers group and has been a member of the Colorado Photographic Arts Center since 1976. He’s focused primarily on both the history of Colorado and points West as a regionalist photographer documenting the changes to the land and the people who live here. As a former history teacher, he takes a documentary approach to his work. While acknowledging the nostalgic myths of the American West, Bleesz's work is also influenced by “New Topographics” photographers like Robert Adams, who documented the “landscape of mistakes" and exploitation. This dual perspective means his photographs often contain both elements of old-school romanticism and the harsh reality of modern development.

Bleesz works predominantly in black & white, a stylistic choice that allows him to emphasize mood, texture, and the traditional craft of printmaking. This old-school approach also aligns him with a long line of artists who have focused their life’s work on chronicling the American West.


“Travels Through Rural America” is being offered in a strictly limited edition. Only 3 prints of each image will be available,. The photographs are available exclusively through Peter Hay Halpert Fine Art. Inquiries can be directed to phh@phhfineart.com.