New Gerald Desmond Bridge Series

I started making paintings at the Port of Long Beach in 2013 after I heard about the imminent demolition of the beautiful old Gerald Desmond Bridge that had carried Los Angeles traffic over the sprawling port since 1968. Devoting time to observe and paint in the landscape was my way of bidding farewell to a familiar friend I had known since childhood. In 2017, as the construction of the replacement bridge was underway, I, along with three fellow artists, was granted regular access to the worksites of the new bridge to record the immense structure’s slow but steady rise. This rare opportunity to paint among the hundreds of talented tradespeople working on the replacement bridge eventually shifted my sense of loss to one of deep respect for the collective effort required to bring such a complex project to fruition. My paintings—themselves constructions of color, shape, and rhythm—interpret fleeting moments in the lives of both bridges, the intricate construction developments, the shifting light of day and season, and the ever-changing landscape of the port. These scenes are now obscured by the imposing structure of the new bridge, inaccessible and lost to history. As such, they stand as witnesses to the passage of time and are tributes to the incalculable creative spirit behind this landmark project.