Artist Statement:

Collectively, the images in this show become the symbolic mark of our monumental achievements as well as our constructive and destructive play.

The images may be of some of the most recognizable objects carried in, lost, discarded and forgotten on the beach. As we continue to dig and dig and build and build, we uncover more questions than answers about life. I find it’s the looking back in time, looking at our worldwide pursuit of industriousness that gives me a sense of disquiet about where we are all headed. We have made plenty of monuments to ourselves and we’ve enjoyed our play, but we need to start digging with a different sense of purpose with our shovels.

My fine art work has been represented by Thomas Paul Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA 2011-2016, and most recently Leica.
My environmental photographs of trash systematically collected on two separate beaches by environmental educator, Peter Kreitler, have been exhibited for three years, coast to coast, from Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA to locations in and around Cape Cod, MA.

In my 42 years as a photographer, I’ve had the pleasure of a formal West Coast art school training: BA (SFSU), MA (CSULA), MFA (USC), two apprenticeships with photographers Ruth Bernhard and Al Weber, and too many photographic workshops and individuals to mention, with the exception of Robbert Flick at USC, who gave me the opportunity to step into the hothouse, learn what questions I should ask and exercise my self-confidence to develop my own solutions.

I was a self-employed, full-time photographer for 26 years until my body broke down and ended all the heavy lifting. In case you were wondering, I would say that the most challenging object to photograph is a golf club; just try to render on film those ebony surfaces and bright metallic highlights at the same time!