I am writing this blog to fill you in on the details of an exciting creative collaboration I have been working on with my close friend Justin Lee of Justin Lee Photography. We have been working on a collection of photography pieces that represent the unique Cityscape of Downtown San Diego. We are calling this project 92101Rooftops. Officially, the show to present the art pieces will be held on March 15th at Basic…located in Downtown’s East Village on the corner of 10th and J Streets. I invite you to check out the teaser clip that we have attached, and read further for some more details on the show!
As many of you well know, I have both lived and worked in Downtown San Diego for the last 9 years. Back in November I was able to reconnect with my good friend Justin Lee who had just moved his home and studio to the Pioneer Lofts in the Gaslamp District. It was clear after we started to get together regularly that there was a desire to collaborate on a project together. As a Result, the idea to document the perspective of a Downtown San Diego Cityscape in photo originated out of two concepts: a desire for old friends to reconnect and a desire depict Downtown San Diego along with similar Iconic Skylines such as New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.
“The 92101 Rooftops project is an art show, as much as it is two friends coming together to produce something beautiful…an experience supported by mutual respect and the love of a Downtown San Diego lifestyle. The “experience” of standing on a rooftop in the middle of Downtown San Diego ended up being such a huge part of this project. Sometimes we hit a “home run”, and sometimes the results were limited. The point was that we wanted to get ourselves on as many rooftops as we could… in order to see what would happen. If we were patient, and let the shot tell its own story…all we had to do was be present and allow the experience to develop.” (Except from the Downtown San Diego March News Article).
In most respects, I think the Downtown San Diego community has developed in a very short period of time. In the other Iconic Skylines that I have spoken of…there are generations of pride and identity that have been able to develop. With San Diego growing as fast as it did in the early 2000’s, 9 out of 10 people you run across are not FROM Downtown. We are hoping that by presenting a new perspective of the Cityscape…we can encourage the development of a “Downtown Identity”. Downtown San Diego is such a great place to live and work. Every day, we have gratitude for the lifestyle that we have created for ourselves. Hopefully, this “LOVE” will be visible in the photos we have chosen to represent the Cityscape.
It was important to both Justin and I that the show at Basic on the 15th was supported by the hundreds of homeowners who live and work here everyday. For the very first time…Four Downtown complexes ICON, M2I, The Mark, and The Legend have approved the Art Show as an HOA supported social event. There is a happy hour for locals that will start at 5:00 and run to 7:00. We are expecting 500 to 700 people over the course of the 7 hours, so get there early and stay late. Hope to see you there. For more information and show details, please refer to the website: www.92101rooftops.com
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