The democratization of photography in my lifetime went from the Kodak 124 to the Polaroid Instant Camera to now, where everyone with a smartphone can fancy themselves the next Annie Leibovitz. We carry cameras in our pockets that are capable of taking pictures, editing, and filtering photos, and with AI, we are able to make anything ridiculous look authentic and vice versa. Thankfully, none of that can replace the true art created by the true artists who use their camera as a brush, a handful of clay, or a needle pulling thread through cloth. Proof of that was on display on Saturday, May 10, at FOCUS Fest—the kickoff party for In Plain Site, “Alameda’s first climate photography festival” at RADIUM Runway through June 1.
At the center of FOCUS Fest was the collection of photography by a myriad of featured artists, including Greg Segal, Daesung Lee, Barbara Boissevain and other talented lenspersons, including students from Encinal High School. The photographs were presented in sunshine and shadow, printed on vinyl cubes or mounted on the interior walls of RADIUM Runway’s multi-purpose cargo containers. There was a perfect symmetry at the event, with art celebrating and educating us about nature taking place not far from the sea and shore that fringe our island. It did not hurt that it was a beautiful day with a perfect blue sky painted by some sort of celestial artist.
Each single photograph can reasonably be seen as a complete work of art in itself, and when part of a larger display, perhaps a chapter or scene telling a larger story. So many of us view photographic images in haste, swiping our thumbs across the glass screens of our phones, or letting an algorithm dictate what we are given to see. The power and beauty of FOCUS Fest is, like an art museum, the strength and stability of the presentation. Here, each gallery says something of substance, something worthy of time and attention. Once engaged, the multiple images and accompanying written narration create a powerful whole, remarkable in its uniqueness.
Mixed in and about the displays were other artists of compatible skills and interests, making a carnival of creativity and culinary delights. Ro’s Tropical Sno offered hand sculpted shaved ice, the incomparable VaneMaco Decorssa Castro’s screen-printed items were available alongside Maco Decor’s Peruvian woven purses and pillows. Participants could also dabble in collage-making and foam relief printing. Throughout the day, art talks took place with sun-shielding parasols kindly provided by the FOCUS Fest staff.
As it turned out, adjacent to the photo fest was another event rich in nature adoration. A group equally hearted spent their Saturday with orange buckets and grabbers, cleaning and tidying up the area around RADIUM Runway. CASA (Community Action for a Sustained Alameda) was holding their monthly volunteer-driven effort. Their work added and amplified the festivities, with artists and activists spiritually shoulder-to-shoulder, celebrating our collective Mother the day before her day.
Subsequent weekdays and weekends will see other events attached to the core photography display. Bike East Bay’s Bike to Wherever After Party will be at RADIUM Runway on Thursday, May 15, and Maya Lin Elementary School’s In Living Colors will take place there on Sunday, May 18. Groups can arrange for private visits to In Plain Site (visit West End Arts District or RADIUM Presents for more information) and the dynamic display cubes will be available for public viewing daily through June 1.
Gene Kahane is the founder of the Foodbank Players, a lifelong teacher, and former Poet Laureate for the City of Alameda. Reach him at [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Gene-Kahane.
