In 2012, the Axle artist-collaborators, Jerry Wellman and Matthew Chase-Daniel, began a photographic portrait project, E Pluribus Unum. This ongoing biennial project enlivens and documents communities throughout the state of New Mexico, with a mobile photographic portrait studio built inside the vintage aluminum Axle vehicle.

Participation is free to all. Participants bring a small object of personal significance, and enter the mobile studio and sit for a black and white photo portrait while holding the object. The objects brought are as diverse as the participants. Objects have included car keys, photos of loved ones on cell phones, artworks, tools, books, food, toys, and vintage collectibles.

Two copies of each portrait are immediately printed with the gallery’s solar-powered printer. One is given to the participant, another is pasted to the exterior of the vehicle, creating a mobile and growing exhibition throughout the span of each regional project. At the close of each project Axle Contemporary Press publishes a book containing all of the portraits, and one image on the cover blending all off the hundreds of portraits into one face, representing the entirety of the community of participants. After each project the portraits are also exhibited in regional exhibitions.

During the late summer and fall of 2022, the studio/gallery visited communities in Northern New Mexico, offering free photographic portrait sessions to all. We set up at local businesses, schools, cafes, roadsides, festivals and other community gathering places.

In 2022, Axle visited communities of Los Alamos, Española, Chimayo, Pojoaque, Ohkay Owingeh, Truchas, Peñasco, Dixon, Taos, El Prado, Questa, Costilla (Garcia CO), Raton, Watrous, Clayton, Roy, Mosquero, Tucumcari, Las Vegas, Mora, Abiquiu, and Chama.

An exhibition of the photographs will be presented at the Taos Center for the Arts’ Encore Gallery in the summer and fall of 2023.

Artist Statement:

E Pluribus Unum: El Norte is the fifth in our series of E Pluribus Unum (EPU) portrait projects in New Mexico. Past EPU projects took place in Santa Fe (2012), Albuquerque (2014), on and adjacent to the Navajo Nation (2016), and in Southeastern New Mexico (2018). As we visit more regions of the state, we bring to light the distinct cultures and traditions of New Mexico, share visions of the compelling contemporary individuals that make up this place, and also share a vision of our shared humanity and our strength as communities.

Axle Contemporary was founded in 2010 by artists Matthew Chase-Daniel and Jerry Wellman, as a collaborative work of art, and an innovative vehicle for arts distribution. We work to bring contemporary art from both emerging and establish New Mexico artists to diverse populations in diverse locations across New Mexico. We value the intersection of disciplines, engagement of our diverse community, and encourage and promote experimental and creative approaches to art-making and presentation.