Blossoms and Thorns
I have always had an interest in community, its social dynamics, and its history. As an artist, I’ve approached much of my work with these aspects in mind. Like many people, my interest was piqued as I drove on the freeway and glimpsed the cluster of former greenhouses that were literally falling in on themselves. I learned that these nurseries, owned and operated by The Sakai, Oishi and Maida-Endo families, and which finally closed for business in 2006, were once part of a thriving Japanese flower industry in Richmond and El Cerrito that thrived for over a hundred years.
There was a spirit that lived there that begged to be documented. It was amazing to see the nurseries up close; it allowed me to witness what this place had become. I was able to discover its evolution through my photographs, the nature and personality of what had once been a thriving and vibrant enterprise, combined with natural overgrowth, and occasional man-made vandalism. My photographs present a statement which reflects our culture and our environment, and makes an attempt to preserve its rich cultural history.
Several of these photos were part of an exhibit first shown at the Richmond Art Center. The nurseries were demolished in 2011 to make way for a housing development.
Read MoreThere was a spirit that lived there that begged to be documented. It was amazing to see the nurseries up close; it allowed me to witness what this place had become. I was able to discover its evolution through my photographs, the nature and personality of what had once been a thriving and vibrant enterprise, combined with natural overgrowth, and occasional man-made vandalism. My photographs present a statement which reflects our culture and our environment, and makes an attempt to preserve its rich cultural history.
Several of these photos were part of an exhibit first shown at the Richmond Art Center. The nurseries were demolished in 2011 to make way for a housing development.
