It’s here, in the colorful bandwidth stretching from Mexico to the islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and beyond, that I’ve sought to capture and preserve the traditions of a tropical region whose image is typically shaped by either travel brochures or a patronizing view of its relatively poor economic conditions.
In fact, the line between reality and perception has become increasingly blurred by mass communications and our constant effort to capitalize on the latest travel frontier. To get at the heart of a country or culture, I submerge myself in the local current, becoming at times a part of the population itself. In other words, I shoot from the inside out, as seen through the local aperture. This enables a certain degree of authenticity to materialize in the image, even as I’m striving to achieve a fine art perspective. The experience can be wild and weird and completely engaging.
Whether it’s capturing the visceral energy of Carnaval in Puerto Rico or the ethereal light of Antelope Canyon in Arizona, the product of each submersion into a world of visual intrigue has been the growing realization that we are all a product of age-old traditions, but that our grip on any sort of cultural permanence is, indeed, fragile.
Recognition
Best in Show, Photography Showcase, 2010
First Place, Launch of Real World Magazine, 2010
First Place, Islands Magazine, 2009
Artistic Merit Winner, Islands Magazine, 2010
Merit Award, Black & White Magazine, 2008
Merit Award, Black & White Magazine, 2008
Featured Portfolio, La Lettre de la Photographie, 2011
Featured Artist, Ugallery, 2011
FWA Photo of the Day, July 13 & April 16, 2010
Featured Artist, myartspace.com, 2008
Honorable Mention, Islands Magazine, 2009, 2010, 2011
Honorable Mention, The Home, Profotio, 2010
Solo Shows
22° Below, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA, 2009
Memphis, Costa Mesa, CA, 2008
Aon Center, Los Angeles, CA, 2004-05
Juried Shows
Earth Through a Lens, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, CA, 2012
Visual Journalism, Irvine Fine Arts Center, 2011
Photography Showcase, Healdsburg Center for the Arts, CA, 2011
Spherical, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, TX, 2010
The Home, Profotio, Richmond, TX, 2010
Photography Showcase, Healdsburg Center for the Arts, CA, 2010
Forever Hold Your Peace, NOPA, New Orleans, LA, 2009
Works of Man, The Center, Fort Collins, CO, 2009
Beyond Toys, Sylvia White Gallery, Ventura, CA, 2008-09
California Visual Artists, 2nd City Council, Long Beach, CA, 2008-09
Dia de Los Muertos, 2nd City Council, Long Beach, CA, 2008
Statements in Color, Reflective Studio, Santa Ana, CA, 2008
All Media, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Bistango Restaurant Gallery, Irvine, CA, 2007
Collections
Arian & Associates, Clearwater, FL
Bolton & Company, Pasadena, CA
CBRE, Newport Beach, CA
Galaxy Diamond, Los Angeles, CA