A Review of the Exhibition, “In the Sunshine of Neglect”

The show runs from January 19 through April 28, 2019.

Last night, Saturday, January 19^th, Jane and I went to the Riverside Art Museum (RAM) and UCR Arts’ California Museum of Photography (CMP) for the opening of “In the Sunshine of Neglect: Defining Photographs and Radical Experiments in Inland Southern California, 1950 to the Present”. We haven’t had a date night in a while, and we love looking at art, so the opportunity was perfect.  And I would get a chance at maybe seeing some art friends which is always nice.  Both RAM and CMP websites have a good write up about what to expect at the photographic exhibition (the same write up, actually) so I don’t need to do that.  But you should go see this show if you can, especially if you live, work or go to school in the Inland Empire – or you just love photographic art.  I haven’t been to a lot of openings, but this opening reception night was probably the biggest that I have ever experienced – there was a gang of folks out at both venues.  But it was fun and worth the price of admission – oh, that was $0.00.  But you do have to pay at the CMP on normal viewing times - $6.00 or less (students, seniors, etc.)  There is a lot of great art being shown at this exhibition and I plan on going back to better take it all in, but it was especially nice seeing those friends/CSUSB alumni though.  Like Katie, Andrew and Sant (who is also a former professor of mine).  That was really cool.  Go see the show.

A Review of Celia Sanchez’ Exhibition, “Saints”

Way back on Cinco de Mayo, we dropped in on SPACE Gallery & Records in Claremont.  I wanted to have a look at Celia Sanchez’ work, “SAINTS”.  And I wanted to say hi to Christina Franco, the gallerist, whom I had not seen since the Pomona days.  Well, we ended up chatting it up for a bit and I basically ran out of time and we had to go.  I did manage to have a look at the Ms. Sanchez’ work and it’s really good.  But I did not have the minutes to meet her.  That I regretted.  Ms. Sanchez is a professional photographer and artist who has had her work featured in a few places.  Check out her website and Instagram to learn more – that’s what I did.  And after going to her website I really regretted not meeting her.  The body of work she presents on her site is incredible.  I was drawn in initially trying to find out more about her project “Saints” but I discovered this very thought provoking project, “Devoted”.  It begins as portraits of #tattooed women.  I won’t spoil it for you as to how it changes along the way.  It is truly great understanding of how we misjudge people every day.  I really enjoyed all of her work though, especially “Abandoned”, as I too work with abandoned structures too.  Ms. Sanchez’ take on the subject is a powerful journey in story telling though – really remarkable work.  I believe “Saints” is still showing at the Space Gallery but don’t know for sure.  But I know Celia Sanchez’ website is fully operational.

A Piece of Americana

Our world has had more painful moments to contend with lately.  And there is a lot more that we generally don’t know about because it hasn’t come to the national stage yet but just as painful.  My family and I have been on vacation for the last two weeks though and we still made the best of it.  There was no comfort in reading about Minnesota, Louisiana, and Dallas.  But even here in Florida, we heard about the attempted child abduction back in Victorville.  We learned about the 3 murders, including the 9-year-old boy, in San Bernardino too.  We live, work and go to school in the high desert.  Those things (and more I’m sure that did not hit the national stage) happened while we were gone but we’re heading back today.  We are in Orlando: Pulse Night Club.  We are from the Inland Empire: San Bernardino mass shooting.  Just the same, we earned a vacation and a respite from all of this pain.  This image is a parting shot of our last outing yesterday – the crowd is just random folks.  We barely made it back to the car before the downpour.  We had a lot of fun these last two weeks but the heat was a challenge.  It’s very humid here.  Truth be told, we had a good vacation but it’s time to go home.

Brick and Mortar

So, I know where I’m going but I can’t work on it at the moment.  I’m on another mission at this time.  But that’s ok – I can still share with you these images from my Victor Valley Project.

The Journey

A goal is starting to take shape – there is a destination.  I’m that kind of person, I thrive on seizing objectives.  Does that sound a little Army like?  Yeah, I guess that’s what you get when you spend most of your adult life as soldier.  Thus I display snippets of a past life here again today.  But that’s neither here nor there, the point is there is a goal – things are starting to take focus.  And I realize it is a two pronged approach that I’m after.  To begin with, I have to breathe some life back into TEAM TEN Tops & Tees and get that to bring in the initial funding for the photo project.  The project is another iteration of the Objectivity Project and I think it’s going to be a compelling body of work.

Yes, the journey is all too important but I really need to know where I’m going to begin with.  Truth be told, I feel better now – I have target.

8:30am, Breakfast, Jan 23, 2004 in Iraq.  We were at our halfway point where we spent the night.

 9:00am, Preparing before we hit the road.

 3:00pm, Our destination – the team we were changing out at the 3^rd ACR’s forward operating base.

6:00pm, Dinner, before we closed out the day on another journey in Army boots.

Eastern Sky

I am really drawn to images of the eastern sky at dawn in particular.  This image is from where I use to live in Victorville looking east towards Apple Valley – where I live now.  I wonder, did I know something but was not aware of it?

Mount Baldy (or Mount San Antonio)

  I live in a scenic paradise – the Victor Valley.  I know, some people would say, “What? #Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley and so on, are a part of a scenic paradise?”  It’s all in how you form your own thoughts about yourself and your life.  You want crap and feel like crap – I guess you’re crap.  I see what I see and I see a scenic paradise.  This is Mt. Baldy as seen east of Deep Creek Road at the top of the hill on Bear Valley Road.  It is part of the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino County.  It is above 10,000 feet.  It is magnificent.  And it is an image I like a lot.

Happy New Year, 2016

It’s been a long time since I wrote something here.  Well, I have been busy.  I graduated from Cal State San Bernardino in the summer of 2014.  I got a job later that year.  I worked at that job for almost a year before I got the really great job I have now.  And I closed on a house last October and got my kids out of that horrible apartment complex we lived in for too long.  Yes, I would say that I have been a little preoccupied.  But #photography is my thing and I miss it tremendously.  And this blog is a good vehicle to show some of it.  So I need to get back to it.

South Hayward’s Holiday Bowl at the Space Gallery in Pomona

I went to an show opening at the Space Gallery in Pomona last Saturday – it just so happen to be the second Saturday of the month which is the Pomona Art Walk.  I have a lot of interest in the Space Gallery because I will be in a show there next month.  This current show is called Sign Geeks and basically it is a group of photographers who have a love for vintage neon signs and this is their work.  It just so happens that one of the photographers was working in the East Bay and captured the sign of the now closed Holiday Bowl.  I have many memories of that place – mostly good ones.  I spent some time hanging out there when I was in high school.  I had not known that it was closed.  Just seeing the picture brought back a flood of memories of Union City and South Hayward.  It has been a long time since I have been in the Bay Area.  I really need to get back up there.  Enjoy.

Independence Day

Four days ago we celebrated our nation’s birthday.  I took a picture.  Actually, I took a lot of pictures as I was experimenting with the light.  No tripod, no image stabilization, just free hand with a telephoto lens out to 300mm.  I knew I would have movement but that was the point – I approached this similar to my Kinetic Ambiguity Project.  And, of course, there is some post production going on to get the appearance that I want.  I liked this photo quite a bit.  Enjoy.

The Day Before Independence Day Photos

I am at a bit of a loss as to what to say about these photos taken on July 3rd, 2014.  Environmental still life is what I would call this.  But it does not need a name.

Clearly, you can see that there was a bit of post-production work going on.  This is my preferred rendering of the photographs that I create.  Enjoy.

So, Now That I have Graduated…

Back on Saturday, June 14^th 2014, I graduated from California State University, San Bernardino with a BA in studio art (photography) and a minor in business administration.  All that with honors, mind you.  I just love saying that.  The really cool thing that a friend pointed out to me was that back in 1980 on June 14^th, we (we went to high school together) graduated from James Logan High School – again on a Saturday.  There must be a meaning behind that.  Just the same, 34 years and I finally got my bachelor’s degree is a good thing.  Though I spent 20 years in the Army in the middle of those 34 years and a bunch of other stuff, I have always been going to school.  I think I have enough units for another degree if I really pushed it but I’m happy with what I have but now what?  Since one of those super awesome careers didn’t fall into my lap, I guess I need to create one on my own.  But I’m always open to one falling in my lap.

Orasi Inc. New Year’s Eve Launch Party

2014 started out in the right way – I picked up a fun event to photograph by way of the network.  That is network as in my network that I am trying to cultivate into to a grand network.  A friend (La Mark) passed my name on to a gentleman that was in need of an additional photographer for his New Year’s Eve event.  Now I have a new friend (Cory) and the network grows.  This event was held at the Indian cuisine restaurant, Chakra, in Beverly Hills.  A really nice place and the party was a whole lot of fun.  And you may notice a familiar face as in another friend of mine (Jeanilee) who I photograph often.  She and another friend were along to assist.  Enjoy.

I am not current on who’s who on the rising talent list in the movie industry – many people who were there might have been one of those rising stars but I would not have known.  I did notice a familiar face but could not place him at the time.  I have since learned that it was Glen Ratcliffe (on the right) who I have seen in a movie before.

Kauai the Garden Island, 3 of 3

Here are the last of my “artistic” shots.  These photos were taken from the north to the south of the island.  Enjoy.

 I shot these from the tour bus as we drove by what use to be plantation workers homes.

 Waimea Canyon

 You can’t help to want to stay here.

 Wailua River

 I have to go back some day