SUMMARY

DEMO premiered at the Mak Center For Art & Architecture in West Hollywood during the pandemic of 2020. The group show was described by curator Anthony Carfello as: “Exploring the lines between demolition, transformation, and extinction, this group exhibition—DEMO—engages four artists’ approaches to reckoning psychologically with the erasure of history that comes with the destruction of both iconic and vernacular architecture.”

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Five years of 35mm photographs and ephemera centered on Historic Filipinotown.

SUMMARY

The fastest open road race in the world according to Guinness Book of World Records takes place in one of the most remote parts of the country.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Ely, Nevada is over 240 miles away from any major city, making it one of the most isolated parts of the country. Twice a year, the fastest road race in the world — The Silver State Classic — takes place in this tiny ex-mining town, attracting hundreds of racers and spectators over a long weekend fueled by exotic cars and parties.

In some ways, Ely is like a mini Las Vegas. There are more casinos, bars and brothels than any other type of business in town. I first stumbled upon the high desert town accidentally, while heading back to Los Angeles from Idaho with my brother-in-law. 30 miles outside of Ely, one of our trucks broke down on the same weekend as the Silver State Classic. While waiting for a part to arrive from Salt Lake City, we got aquatinted with the high desert town by drinking ourselves through every bar in town.

A year later I returned to Ely to cover the Silver State Classic for Roadtrippers Magazine.

SUMMARY

3 years of 35mm photographs shot all over Puerto Rico circa 2017.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

I fell in love with Puerto Rico in 2015 as soon as my friend described his trip to the island. Over the next three years, my girlfriend and I visited Puerto Rico three times, the last time being January 2017. In September of 2017, Hurricane Irma left 1 million people on the island without power. Two weeks later, Hurricane Maria, the biggest storm to strike the island in over 90 years, decimated Puerto Rico.

In this body of work, I examine an island on the verge of catastrophic change through photographs shot on 35mm.

SUMMARY

5 years of 35mm photographs documenting Los Angeles's evolving landscape from the sidewalk.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

A large portion of my work is based on picking a direction and putting one foot in front of the other. In some ways, taking photos comes secondary to walking and experiencing life on the streets; grabbing a papusa or taco from a street vendor, interacting with the cast of characters that makeup a neighborhood, picking up a beer from a random liquor store, learning about and discovering the many corners of this enormous city.

In my first body of work shot exclusively on the streets of Los Angeles, I examine the city’s evolving landscape on 35mm film from the perspective of the sidewalk.

The Overage Diver

At 76 years old Peter Halmay is 1 of only 18 divers in southern California. 

ABOUT PETER

"Peter Halmay was one of the pioneers of the co-management system, an effort to cut down on over harvesting and keep sea life at healthy population levels. Co-management creates an honor system amongst fishers that encourages divers to go after urchins that attract top dollar from high end restaurants, leaving most of the population of sea urchin where they belong. Today Peter and most divers in the area only catch what they can sell that day."

Read more about the process of making the film, HERE.

Behind the scenes photo and stills from the film.