The six images of The Orange Coast extend the techniques developed previously for The Ragged Edge, and locate them within a larger territory. These projects combine moving across a linear environment—the ragged coastal edge—with the transparent superposition of panoramic images taken along the way. In this case, over the course of a month, I walked the length of Orange County’s oceanfront—the beach cities of San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Seal Beach—shooting eight panoramic images per city, each centered on the water’s unifying horizon. I then combined each city’s images into a single composition, causing their unique elements to compete for attention. When these compositions are viewed in pairs or in groups, or lined up in geographic order, as in Suburban Ecologies, the evolving nature of this sweep of coast also emerges. And while the ubiquity of sea, sand, and surfers is expected, it is the anomalies that stand out: chain-link fences, idiosyncratic buildings, signage and other infrastructure, and the varying activities of beachgoers young and old, ranging from birdwatching to metal-detecting.
The Orange Coast #1 (San Clemente)
The Orange Coast #2 (Dana Point)
The Orange Coast #3 (Laguna Beach)
The Orange Coast #4 (Newport Beach)
The Orange Coast #5 (Huntington Beach)
The Orange Coast #6 (Seal Beach)
Dibond-mounted inkjet prints, each 30”H x 90”W, 2020. Also available 40”H x 120”W.
