The desert can take time to appreciate, especially after being
surrounded by greenery all your life, as I did growing up near
the Great Lakes. It’s like starting a new relationship.
So when I moved to Phoenix on June 13, 1979, just after high school
graduation, I did not immediately fall in love. But now, after
24 years in Arizona, I cannot imagine moving back. The views,
the canyons, the mountains, the desert, the sunsets; the sheer
variety of the Southwestern US boggles my mind. This large-scale
beauty is most noticeable first. But it was not until I looked
closer, at the subtle aspects, or inner beauty, that the relationship
really began to take hold. The Neapolitan-colored sandstone canyons
(with a nod to Mr. Abbey) of Sedona were my first introduction
into the sublime intricacies of geologic formations. Wind and
water act upon rock in ways that are truly spectacular. I felt
compelled to record these formations, and hence my love of photography
started. Since that first experience, my cameras and I have explored
and recorded the intricacies of many more fabulous places in the
southwest. The blossoming of my relationship with this land is,
I hope, contained in these photographs. Why Abstract Southwest?
I was very taken with photography, working with B&W film, but I could not develop my own film or make my own prints. So I decided to take a beginning photography course at the University. I had a great teacher, a Masters student named Dudley, and not only did we learn about basic techniques, but Dudley also encouraged our artistic aspects. Soon after that class, I bought my first enlarger and went about converting my bathroom into a darkroom. Since those humble beginnings, I have moved on to equipment that allows me greater flexibilities and control over the final product. As I continued my education in Hydrology at the University, I continued my photography education by spending weeks in the outdoors travelling, and endless hours in my darkroom, which soon became a dedicated 10x10 room in my house. I realized along the way that B&W was not always the best medium for the images I wanted to capture, and I delved into the realm of color photography in the middle 1990s. I know of some photographers that see only in B&W or color, or have a hard time switching back and forth between the two. I do not seem to have the problem, and I feel I have been blessed with the ability to go either way. Of course, since I still print my B&W in a traditional darkroom, that means that I get to carry around extra equipment so I can be prepared! I did finish my PhD in Hydrology, with an emphasis in environmental chemistry. I was even involved with oxidation-reduction reactions, and as most photographers (film at least) can tell you, the redox reactions are the basis of how we create images. My training gave me a greater appreciation for the history of my profession. After completing that ordeal, I continued on for a time in the laboratory, and even got a few papers published that maybe a few dozen people will read! But alas, I was not happy, and with a bit of help from my good friends Chris, Amy and Matt, I struck out in 2002 and started showing my work to friends and family. I showed my work at art fairs and galleries around the Southwest from 2005 to 2007. I have sinced taken a job with an enviromental consulting firm. I now mainly show my art through various gallery shows and on the web. I hope you enjoy viewing my work as much as I have creating it!
Achievements
Group Exhibits: Photos Published: Copyright
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