In October I appeared at Art Expo New York presenting original images in one of Manhattan’s largest fine art trade shows. Over 200 galleries, collectives, and independent artists displayed their work at the show, which for most attendees was the first fine art show they attended since 2019, pre-pandemic. Many friends and family in the New York area were there to show support and enjoy New York City in the fall — arguably the best season in the city.
I selected eight works to display, showcasing landscape, underwater, and wildlife subjects. Each image was accompanied by a short story printed on card stock and displayed near the framed work. For those who were unable to attend, most of these prints are available for purchase through Art Expo New York’s online gallery. A selection of works is displayed below.
“Alien Lake” was the largest print of the exhibit
ALIEN LAKE
Tucked in the foothills of the eastern Sierras, Mono Lake is a prehistoric alkaline lake dotted by bizarre limestone tufa. On calm evenings, such as the one photographed in this image, there is an otherworldly stillness and sense of quiet, broken only by the occasional coyote call. Though not as famous as the Great Salt Lake, Mono Lake has featured in obscure popular culture from an early work of Mark Twain to an album inset by Pink Floyd.
TRAILS
The origin of these unique rock trails in a remote desert basin remained a mystery for centuries. Some theorized they were created by hurricane-force winds pushing rocks across slick mud, while the more superstitious believed ghosts or aliens were behind the strange sailing stones. After several decades of study, the rocks were observed in motion in the winter of 2013 — pushed along by floating ice sheets in the flooded playa. Visiting this location requires significant off-road travel deep in Death Valley National Park.
“Trails” was the most popular image on display
“Grey Ghost” is a nod to the significant set of underwater images in my portfolio. It also captures a theme in many of my photos — nature overtaking human creation.
GREY GHOST
The USS Kittiwake, formerly a submarine support ship, served the US Navy for five decades and retrieved the black box in the aftermath of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Today she rests in water seventy feet deep in the Cayman Islands. A dive bell (in the distance on her port side) still contains an air pocket inside — divers enter from below and can break through the surface to have a brief chat underwater. Originally positioned upright, the Kittiwake was knocked on her port side by Tropical Storm Nate in 2017.
KING SALMON
Classic stick and rudder flying is ubiquitous in Alaska, the state with the largest per capita population of licensed pilots in the United States. For many visitors arriving in Katmai National Park in the Alaskan peninsula, a seaplane is the preferred method of travel — there are no roads connecting the park with nearest town of King Salmon. Brown bears are a common sight on the very banks where this DeHavilland Beaver is parked. As I photographed this plane, my travel companions kept watch on the nearby forest behind me.
“King Salmon” was one of two images set in Alaska and is a tribute to my lifelong love of aviation