While the main event in photography this past weekend in Los Angeles was PhotoLA, there were other things to discover.
Over at Bergamot Station, one of our prime venues filled with a TON of galleries (park once, hit a bunch of galleries), there is a new gallery called Terra Galleria Artworks. Slightly hidden at one end of the location, the show currently up, is one heck of a find.
Ted Orland: Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity, introduces one of the hidden talents in our midsts.
We spent some time not only looking at his portraits of the photographers we have grown to know and love, but his neverending photographic explorations.

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From the sublime sense of humor,

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To his colorful panoramas

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and his love of the Holga.

[photopress:aa_ic_ju.jpg,full,centered] OK, $5 to the first person to name the 3 people in this photograph

One my favorite parts of the evening was being able to hear his stories of printing for Ansel Adams, the photography scene of the 60’s and 70’s, why he embraces current technology, at least as far as post production goes.

To quote Mr. Orland:
“The real bottom line – and my overall theory about artmaking – is that if you lead an interesting life, you’re on track to make interesting art. How could it be otherwise?”

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Now you can only wonder if the intensity of printing for Ansel Adams, taking 12 meter readings to live the zone system dream, made him turn to the fuzzy logic and leaky Holga, but whatever it took, we’re loving the photographs.

OK, here is another reason that this work is such a find: the price.
Yeah, I know, it’s the images that are important. And you are right. But I saw prints for $400 dollars !!
No, seriously, take a look at some of these, then go and see for yourself if you can.

He does have a book of photographs, available from the gallery, and a book titled “Art and Fear”
“This is a book about the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn’t get made, and about the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. David Bayles and I are both working artists, grappling daily with the problems of making art in the real world — the observations we make are drawn from personal experience, and relate more to the needs of fellow artists than to the interests of viewers.
Do not mistake Art & Fear for a pop psychology self-help book — we’re not interested in freeing your inner child! This is a book about what it feels like to sit down at your potter’s wheel or keyboard, easel or camera, trying to do the work you need to do. What we’ve tried to do is illuminate the obstacles you face, and offer some artistic strategies for getting past them.”

As a kid, Ted was the kind of photographer we knew about and looked up to. The photographer in the inner circle. Master printer, shooter, raconteur, and a darn nice guy. No wonder he teaches and became a mentor to many.

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He’s not an LA guy. Quite the opposite actually.
Santa Cruz is his home, far away from the maddening crowd.
I’m glad to have met him, and I hope you enjoy the work.
Nothing like supporting a new gallery either.

Ted Orland: Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity
Terra Galleria Artworks
Bergamot Station
2525 Michgan Ave.
Building T1B
Santa Monica,CA 90404
310-5104

January 10 – February 28, 2009