SCENES from my new Photo Show-- 

 "The Changing face of Poverty in Washington County"
Washington County Museum
September 10, 2015 (for one month)

"Clyde Keller gave me his camera to chronicle the exhibit of his photos at the Washington County Museum chronicling pervasive rural poverty. I took the camera and pushed a little button thingy enough times to observe a moment or two in history."  Ken Bilderback

"PHONE BOOTH LIPS"

A strange, and unplanned impromptu happening is the substance of this madcap merriment caught in the Winter of 1971.  A work cohert, from Finland caught my eye as I attempted to use the phone booth on 23rd avenue and Irving street in Portland, Oregon.  She is seen by my crouching down inside the phone booth looking up and out at her as she scrawled her finger tips and pressed her lips on to the glass pane.  The result shows her mockery of American sex in this defiant (European) portrait.

http://www.clydekeller.com/PHONE-BOOTH-LIPS-Doubles-Clyde-Keller-photo-1971-_p_436.html

NEW ABSTRACT IMAGE....

"Handicap Crossing"

New Fine Art Image offered in several larger sizes.  My abstract image of a stenciled handicap symbol partially covered with sealant scrawling to cover cracks in the asphalt, as found in a parking lot in Sisters, Oregon, in the early afternoon, Thursday, July 2, 2015. 

http://www.clydekeller.com/HANDICAP-CROSSING-Clyde-Keller-fine-art-photo-2015_p_431.html 

FLOYD BROWN FAMILY
Vintage 1973 Documentary Photo
Washington County, Oregon


In this vintage documentary image I was focusing on poverty as it could be found throughout Washington County, Oregon. The subject is of Floyd Brown and his family posed inside their house in a remote rural backwoods farming area. The entire family included the two adult figures and their grandson. This image was featured in my 16mm film entitled "Portraits of Poverty" which helped to bring into focus the effects of economics and environment as it had left its impression on the faces of the poor. 

http://www.clydekeller.com/FLOYD-BROWN-FAMILY-Portrait-of-Poverty-Clyde-Keller-photo-1974_p_429.html

Cucumbers. Acres of cucumbers in the rich turd brown fields of Washington County, Oregon  picked by migrant farm laborers.  Chicanos mostly, who were recruited from Texas to live in smallish plywood shacks built by such landowners as Ron Tankersley, who owned some of the most notorious camps with the worst conditions. It was on his land that many of my photos were taken showing the actual conditions the workers and family members lived in. He would recruit them with false advertising showing them photos of pretty "modern-style houses"-- and when they'd arrive in Oregon they found plywood shacks-- a typical bait and switch tactic.  In an interview and portrait session, Ron Tankersley,  told me, the pickers love to "camp" here, it's like a "vacation" for them.  In reality, families, sometimes over a dozen children, all lived together in square, a 20x20 foot one room plywood shacks with inadequate water, heat, and "moldy" damaged mattresses.  Later, Ron served jail time, according to an article published on May 6, 1989 in the Eugene Register Guard for using illegal contractors.


I was there to take pictures of them-- and here in the Land of Opportunity they were all seemingly proud. But these scenes resembled another America to me, going back in time to the 1930s or before. Bathrooms, water and cooking facilities were outside the campground shacks.--  These photos may be be viewed at my website.

http://www.clydekeller.com/Migrant-Farm-Labor-Photography_c_26.html

 

"SIDEWALK CRACKS"
Image No. 4, Abstract forms, gestalt image
December 19, 2013, Bend, Oregon


Here is a beautiful abstract rendering of  sidewalk cracks I found on Newport Avenue, in Bend, Oregon near Backporch Coffee House. The left (half) image is flipped to provide an abstract visual composite from the concrete sidewalk forms. The result is a delightful rendering of animal like forms, such as the imaginary animal in the center of the image.  I made a series of twelve art prints found in these decaying sidewalk cracks, replete with ice, pebbles, debris and the effect of sunlight partially melting some it. This one is the most anthropomorphic.  The details on the larger prints will bring much pleasure in the viewing process, up-close or further away.

My Doubles Series, comprises of a series concurrent coincidences, double entendre and intriguing pairs.

"Sidewalk Cracks" No. 4, Copyright ©  2013 Clyde Keller

Customer review:
SIDEWALK CRACKS by Clyde Keller is my latest acquisition. This image looks great from across the room,but the detail invites closeup viewing to reveal many different facets including faces,human and animal alike,and many other more abstract forms. 

I'm a huge fan of Clyde Keller's work and very proud to say I own a good number of his prints. These latest acquisitions,'Ice Crystals' and 'Sidewalk Cracks'will be a much treasured addition to my collection. I look forward purchasing many more!
Bob Akers