I enjoy shooting what could be described as the “raw undercurrent” of daily existence. My passion for global travel, especially to destinations off the beaten path, combined with a desire to see between the cracks of a cultural norm or common perception, has led to the exploration of some interesting locations – not the least of which circulate in cultural eddies throughout the Torrid Zone. 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.

The product of each excursion into the Torrid Zone, or into the subcultures of Southern California and other metropolitan settings, 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.

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
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 2009, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA
All Media 2008, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA
All Media 2007, Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA
Bistango Restaurant Gallery, Irvine, CA, 2007

Awards
FWA Photo of the Day, July 13 & April 16, 2010
Artistic Merit Winner, Islands Magazine, 2010
First Place, Launch of Real Word Magazine, 2010
First Prize, Islands Magazine, 2009
Merit Award, Black & White Magazine, 2008
Merit Award, Black & White Magazine, 2008
Featured Artist, myartspace.com, 2008