Growing up in the suburbs of Washington D.C., Rick first became interested in photography as an early teenager experimenting with the family Polaroid camera. He very quickly discovered that he naturally viewed the world on a much smaller scale, taking pictures of, and interacting with the details in life. Soon after, he studied black and white photography for several years during high school. He then went on to study photography at the university level, ultimately obtaining a bachelor degree in English Literature.

Specializing in fractions, abstractions, slices of experiences, Rick views the minute pieces as opposed to “the whole”. His images are evocative typically possessing a strong sense of contrast, texture, and reflection. He encourages and urges the viewer to slow down, re-examine the composition, reconsider what has been seen and emotionally connect. His images usher the viewer into a place that is abstract yet strangely familiar. He uses the camera, not as a mere mirror to reflect or document, but more as an extension of himself through which he can channel feelings, ideas, and experiences.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Gold Country






Last weekend (the weekend of May 17th – 20th) has come and gone and unfortunately I was not one of the nearly 38,000 attendees who willingly watched Hill Billy Hopper seize the 2012 Frog Jumping Championship at the Calaveras County Fair this year. However, I did just recently visit Calaveras County, more specifically Angels Camp, nestled like a golden nugget in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Gold Country, as it’s often referred to, has an abundance of quaint little mining towns, picturesque rolling hills, as well as hidden caves and caverns.

Twain, who had recently migrated from San Francisco out of necessity, decided to make his way to Gold Country and stayed with friends (Gillis brothers) at Jackass Hill in Tuolumne County. At one of his favorite spots that he frequented, the Angels Hotel saloon, in neighboring Calaveras County, he was told the story that he crafted into the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. This is the story that put Twain on the map.

There’s a lot to take in, and we did a lot of excursions while in Gold Country, including hiking in Big Trees National Park, visiting Mercer Caverns, strolling through downtown Murphy’s, driving historic highway 49, casually walking the streets of Sonora, exploring the roundhouse at Railtown 1897 in Jamestown, and the list goes on.

Of course we had to visit the reproduction of the modest cabin Twain stayed in during his approximately 90 days in this region (they believe that the cabin does at least stand where, or close to where the original did). While changing channels the other night I stumbled upon Huell Howser and his California’s Gold show, and he happened to be visiting Tuolumne County, Calaveras County, and surrounding areas in the Mother Lode. I had to watch the entire episode, in part because we were just there, but more so because Huell always seems brings a smile to my face.

We also visited Columbia State Historic Park, which is a preserved mining town that was originally started by prospectors as a mining camp in 1850. It’s a fun town to visit, especially for the family, with Wells Fargo stage coach, authentic store fronts (with actual stores and saloons), and you can even pan for gold. According to the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Columbia yielded $87 million in gold at 1860’s prices. In 1945 Columbia became a State Historic Park.

Unfortunately, every holiday adventure must come to a close at some point, and we must pack our travel bags away while temporarily entering back into the grind of the real world. Twain may have said it best when he wrote “There is no unhappiness like the misery of sighting land (and work) again after a cheerful, careless voyage”

Mark Twain Cabin:

Columbia State Historic Park:

No comments:

Post a Comment