Valley-born artist shares fleeting impressions captures in photos at STC library galleries

Nursing & Allied Health Campus and Technology Campus
September 17 - October 30, 2009

“Chantal Sunset,” a photograph by Fernando Flores.

South Texas College’s Nursing & Allied Health Campus and Technology Campus Library Art Galleries are proud to present “Fleeting Impressions: Perspectives through the Color Lens,” an exhibit featuring staged and documentary photography by Fernando Flores. The exhibit opens Thursday, Sept. 17 with Art Talks at 11:30 a.m. at the NAH Campus Library and 2:30 p.m. at the Technology Campus Library. The exhibits will be on view through Friday, October 30, 2009. STC’s Nursing & Allied Health Campus Library Art Gallery is located at 1101 E. Vermont Ave., and STC’s Technology Campus Library Art Gallery is located at 3700 W. Military Hwy. in McAllen. Admission to all events is free and open to the public.

Flores grew up in Alton, Texas and began taking photographs at age 20. He takes all of his photographs with a 35mm Nikon FM2, and a medium-format Yashica Mat-124 camera. He does not use computer or any digital media applications to alter his images. All photographs within the exhibit were taken in Baja California, Los Angeles, Austin, the Rio Grande Valley, and Tamaulipas, Mexico.  

“My passion is street photography, focusing on the way people live and work; and the surreal in everyday life,” said Flores. “In formal portraiture, I like to get to know my subjects and collaborate as far as wardrobe, art, and the locations, leaving the captured moments to flesh out a personality in them neither of us knew would be there with the help of unique surroundings. In documentary portraiture I get close to my subjects without being intrusive to their lives, their surroundings, to capture a real moment they may take for granted in their day to day.”

“Flores’ photographs are visual narratives expressed through brilliant color and stimulating imagery of the extraordinary, weird, and wonderful found in everyday life,” said Sofia K. Vestweber, STC Library Art Gallery associate and curator of the exhibit. “Viewers will find inspiration in the bizarre splendor and quirky magnificence throughout Flores’ photographs.”

South Texas College’s Library Art Gallery Program exhibits regional, national and international artwork, explores new visions and theories of creativity, and introduces innovative artistic expressions to the South Texas region.

For more information call 872-3488, e-mail libraryart@southtexascollege.edu or visit http://lag.southtexascollege.edu.