Following his female Navajo guide through the crevasse, Rubenstein’s camera-ladden backpack scrapes against both sides of the gash in the earth’s surface as he begins the eighty foot descent down three vertical ladders to the floor of Antelope Canyon.

These canyon pieces are literal and at the same time abstract, presenting sensual elegant images of great depth. They were photographed in this particularly spiritual location on the Navajo Indian reservation in north central Arizona.

Working amongst snakes and lizards who didn’t seem particularly bothered by his presence, Rubenstein was in this cork-screw canyon for two separate full days, using a Hasselblad camera and Kodak T-Max film. Exposure times were as long as two minutes. For the first time ever, he has no memory of recording these images, except two taken when other people were encountered. “It was an exceedingly unique experience. Time and space did not exist.”

These images are available in sizes 16x20 and 20x24. They are archivally printed by Rubenstein on gelatin silver based photographic paper. Each print is available in limited editions of thirty.

Two weeks following this photographic visit, twelve European tourists drowned in this canyon as a result of an unforeseen flash flood. The only survivor was their Navajo guide.