The purpose of this series is to highlight the beauty in the ignored and disregarded elements that surround us in city life. Although this series was inspired by my surroundings in San Francisco, the paintings are intended to transcend a specific time or place. Since moving to San Francisco, I have completely fallen in love with city living. I walk along the city streets for my daily commute. I travel everywhere from the Haight to the Castro to the Mission to Civic Center to the Financial District to SOMA to Chinatown and all the way to North Beach. I am always immensely focused on the textures, patina, grunge, decay, bumps and curves that emphasize the history of the architectural structures surrounding us.  And yet, many city dwellers seem not to notice the beauty in the decay surrounding them. Another prime element that surrounds me on every step of my walks in the city are pigeons. Unlike us, pigeons seem to be very in touch and aware of their environment. Pigeons inhabit every city in the world, hiding in plain sight on lamp posts, in building alcoves, on fountains and even on parking meters. These throwaway birds that are likewise ignored and disregarded, find refuge on these taken for granted structures that surround us. By utilizing the city as their personal playground, these “rats of the sky” cause even more damage, decay and wear on the city that provides them their only shelter.  But alternatively, one could argue by utilizing these structures, pigeons honor the architecture more than we do. This series of paintings is the study of the dichotomy between these disparate views.

Like many people, I was recently laid off. Thus leaving me many hours to dedicate to my photography. 

I love being outdoors. My images represent the serenity and tranquility that are important for my survival in this crazy fast-paced city of San Francisco.

"ciudad de gallinazos".
Héroe - pintor - lima...

The collection ranges from some done a few weeks ago to others done in the early 1990's. (Last century!) Every item contains an idea or illustrates a passionate commitment to something I have seen. Examples of the idea-based work include those with a visual reference to a time after the great flood. You can take that as a statement of my belief in global warming, and the great flood that might ensue, or as my version of what the world looked like after Noah launched the Arc! There are (sardonic) biblical reference in a couple of works, notably one called 'Expulsion', which depicts the four lead characters-Yaweh, Eve, Adam, and the serpent as I imagine them. My other side, my optimism is reflected in the many landscapes and gardens that are the subject of many of the works. I can't see a beautiful tree, or windblown shoreline, or flower without drawing them. I have for many years been admiring us--our faces, our bodies, and our fantastic ways of moving, and there is a small selection of drawings that I hope gives a sense of that. Since I am a retired urban designer and a passionate observer of the urban street, there are several city views, which are as much about how we live in the urban setting as about the setting itself. We can share the sidewalk, tne alley, and the park with our fellow human beings, and live to tell the tale!
I hope you enjoy the work.
I have.

Photography allows for the exploration and alternate perception of our daily environment. What touches me most, is seeing the transformation of a priori insignificant objects into meaningful and beautiful ones. My pictures are the result of a wandering and wondering state of mind. My interest expanded to other visual art practices: collages and paintings. In the collages that can be “classic” (paper and glue) or digital, I can pick colors, shapes, models, objects, sceneries. This allows me to use the images made by other artists and incorporate them into mine. This is a common artistic approach, in which the art of someone else resonates in us and can be revisited. I also started painting, experimenting with different types of paints: water color, acrylics, oil paints, inks. My paintings represent sceneries inspired by cities and seashores or ideas summarized by symbols. As I view photography as creating a picture from multiple “outsides”, I view painting as creating one from multiple “insides”. While most of my work is photography, some images are the results of several ones. Combining photography, sometimes images from magazines and paintings through digital processing allows to apply and discover in a fast way various changes a picture can go through, and the different meanings it can convey. By assembling several images, I summarize in one, emotions, stories inspired by personal events.