Life's A Beach

Waves, viewed from the Hermosa Beach pier

Although I live relatively close to the Pacific Ocean, I don't make an effort to photograph it very much. It might be that I've become so familiar with the beach, the waves, the people and birds, that I have developed a "blind spot" towards them. Well, I'm fortunate to be within a healthy walking distance of some of SoCal's finest beaches. So, I ought to make stronger efforts to share the local beauty with you all.

Previously, I mentioned that I was considering a change of blogging schedule. Because a generally have a very active Saturday schedule, I'm thinking of instituting "Snapshot Saturday", a quick and easy sort of topic about which to form a post. We'll bounce "Silly Saturday" on over to "Funny Monday", when I'll have something of a humorous or bizarre nature to share.

Beach-goers and volleyball games

I also think that I may switch "Spooky Sunday" posts back over to "Terror Tuesday", again to accommodate the demands of my weekend schedule. And maybe I'll designate an "Aesthetic Thursday" in which I can showcase some art or an exhibit at one of the local museums or galleries. I always intend to put up art-related posts, but somehow time seems to slip away before I can. Perhaps, setting up a scheduled day will help out.

As always, we'll see how this goes. My intentions do not always become actualized as deeds, but it's worth considering.

Hermosa Beach pier

Enjoy!!!

Another Random Photograph

Water jets forth from the fountain top at Heritage Court, Redondo Beach

Well, another photo blog is what I'm giving to you today.

A special oddity of my behavior is my love for randomization. Every so often, when at a loss in making a decision, I like pulling out the dice or cards and letting fortune choose my course of action. That's what happened today; I have things about which I would like to write but possess no time for it on this morning.

Therefore, I opened up my image folders, counted up the viable files, selected some dice, and rolled up a result. Yeah, so this somewhat phallic "image of the day" doesn't reflect any peculiar mental state that I'm experiencing or whatnot. ;-)

One thing that is so awesome about establishing determinative randomization is that such methods may be used for a wide array of subjects. For instance, we can select music. . .

Stop the Clocks!!!

 Triple stop!!! Within a puddle, the stop sign is reflected.



It would have been a bit humorous, after all the bold proclamations of yesterday, if I had failed to put up a post on the second day of the year. Fortunately for my pride, I made it under the wire with a nice “reflection” photo. There is something cool about looking at the world upside down in a body of water.

Anyways, I really thought that I had a bunch of time tonight to write up a full blog post, but somehow it slipped away. If only we could stop the clock, making the hours stretch until we can accomplish all those things that we desire. There are too many movies to watch, books to read, stories to tell, and delights to experience to fit into the leftover time of the day, after the daily grind in finished.

Well, we'll make it work out somehow.

The Spirit Is There in Every Boy

Detail of Rescue Breathing No. 2 (2010) by Abel Baker Gutierrez

Last Saturday, I attended the Luis De Jesus Gallery's opening of "Swimming", a solo show featuring the works of Abel Baker Gutierrez. The images are inspired by '50s era photos and films of Boy Scouts, specifically in regards to water-related survival training. From this source material, Gutierrez has contextualized the imagery within a dark, ambiguous but vaguely menacing setting. The technique and style of these oil paintings evoke a 19th century feel, part Realisim and part late Romanticism.

The overall effect is haunting. There is an incongruity between image and style. We imagine the boy scouts training in a bright, sunny setting, but these paintings are dark and mysterious. The style is associated with nude female bathers and naturalist wooded landscapes, but here we have energetic youths and rowboats. A subtle sense of wrongness pervades these works. Yet, the images are compelling compositions, with hints of narrative inspired by the clash of subject and style.



Above as Below No. 6 (2010) By Abel Baker Gutierrez


Gutierrez's exquisite painterly technique creates a rich surface texture and engaging play of light and shadow. All these elements combine to make this a fascinating show.