The new exhibit at Southwestern College’s art gallery, “Gustavo Mayoral & Friends,” showcases the photography of Gustavo Mayoral, David Maung, Ave Pildas and Carlos Richardson. It is co-curated by Mayoral and Vallo Riberto.
The photos range from realistic shots of a Tijuana prison beauty pageant to an abstract series of the cross on Mt. Helix. Mayoral is also exhibiting his model photos in March through June at the Tijuana Cultural Center, giving him a dual binational opening. A Mexican artist born in Tijuana, Mayoral currently lives in San Diego. His work has been published internationally in magazines and journals.
The prison photos are by both Mayoral and Maung, a photojournalist. Through the course of his work and travels, Maung has developed an intimate understanding of the complex dynamics that define the U.S.-Mexico border. The beauty pageant was held for the women of a Tijuana federal maximum security prison. Mayoral, who shot individual portraits of the women, has mixed emotions about his work since many of the women had committed violent crimes. His prison photos are only being shown at this exhibit; Mayoral doubts he will display them again for another 10-20 years.
The viewer is drawn to the large model photos by Mayoral, with their pastel colors and expressive faces. He has created his own tools for photo manipulation. His style is reminiscent of classic Hollywood photo portraits. One of his portraits is an homage to Vermeer’s famous painting of “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”
He also has another group of photos called “Dollar Food.” Against pastel backgrounds, he has product shots of food items that cost a dollar. At the bottom of each photo, he has handwritten information such as the nutritional value and how the item tasted, such as “delicioso” and “horrible.”
Carlos Richardson works at SWC’s Photography Department. His photos of the Mt. Helix cross record the cross’s surfaces and the sky as they change in the differing color of light of the days and seasons. Over time, his photographs have evolved into a balance between abstraction and simple reality, with emphasis on form, light, shape and color.
Richardson advised students at the opening day lecture, “You can see the variety you can get of the same subject. Every day is different.”
A student was concerned that everything has been photographed, but Richardson spoke of digital photos and how “a new medium can alter what you’re doing.”
The photos of Pildas focus on street shots of Los Angeles in the 1970s. He used an inkjet printer to make his prints, which was new at that time. One of his photos includes a bright orange house with an equally bright orange classic car with orange wheel covers. The artist has had photo books published.
He comments, “With the proliferation of digital camera technology in this century, the documentation of everyday life that generally features candid situations within public places, better known as ‘street photography,’ has flourished.”
Mayoral’s response to the student who says everything has already been photographed is to shoot it anyway. “It (photography) is the hardest medium to get a unique voice — you have to find that voice.”
The SWC art gallery exhibit “Gustavo Mayoral & Friends” is showing until April 14. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
