Photography by Ted OrlandScenes of Wonder and Curiosity

This month, the Terra Galleria in Santa Monica is presenting Scenes of Wonder & Curiosity, a retrospective exhibit of well-known author, educator and photographer Ted Orland. The exhibit showcases his evolving artistic vision, from tonally perfect black and white prints in the tradition of Ansel Adams, to hand-colored works and digital collages with a uniquely Orlandian twist. Taken together, his collection of images reveals the "incongruities of an uncertain world" and serves as a gentle satire of our modern condition, highlighting the unexpected intrusion of the artificial upon the natural, the secular upon the sacred.

An artist reception will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2009, from 5 to 9pm at the gallery. Several other Bergamont Station art galleries are also having receptions on the same evening.

Ted Orland
One-and-a-Half Domes, Yosemite National Park, 1976
Copyright Ted Orland
Courtesy Terra Galleria Artworks, Santa Monica



Ted Orland
Sign in Snow, East Side of the Sierra, 2004
Copyright Ted Orland
Courtesy Terra Galleria Artworks, Santa Monica



Ted Orland
The Excessively Rare Albino Buffalo, Which Ventures Forth Only By the Light of the Full Moon, 2004
Copyright Ted Orland
Courtesy Terra Galleria Artworks, Santa Monica



Ted Orland
Gate & Guard Dog, 1975
Copyright Ted Orland
Courtesy Terra Galleria Artworks, Santa Monica



Ted Orland
Forest, Southern California, 2004
Copyright Ted Orland
Courtesy Terra Galleria Artworks, Santa Monica



Ted Orland
Just Another Tired West Coast Landscape Photograph, 2006
Copyright Ted Orland
Courtesy Terra Galleria Artworks, Santa Monica



Ted Orland
Winter Sunrise, Mono Lake CA, 2004
Copyright Ted Orland, Courtesy Terra Galleria Artworks, Santa Monica

Exquisite, whimsical, quirky, spontaneous, insightful, his photography is all of the above. And more. Accidental light leaks become part of the composition; an obtrusive trash-can mimics a magnificent landscape; bold colors float on a black and white background. There is a distinctive impromptu characteristic that makes Ted Orland's photography look almost casual, yet he takes his work seriously enough to have written two books about the nature of the artmaking process. Like his writings, his photographs are rich in dialog, with titles often as interesting as the subjects.

Ted Orland lives in Santa Cruz, where he pursues parallel careers in teaching, writing and photography. His photographic career began in the 1970s, when he worked as Ansel Adams assistant and instructor at Adams' Annual Summer Yosemite Workshops. He later held academic positions at Stanford University and at the University of Oregon; currently he teaches Digital Photography at Cabrillo College, and leads photography workshops across the country. Ted is co-author (with David Bayles) of the classic artists' survival guide, Art & Fear, and author of its recent companion volume, The View From The Studio Door. A large selection of Ted's early photographs and writings appear in his monograph, Scenes of Wonder & Curiosity, and his artworks have been widely exhibited and are included in over thirty museum collections.

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Ted Orland
January 10th - Febuary 28th, 2009
Scenes of Wonder & Curiosity: A Wide-Ranging Retrospective
Reception: Sartuday, January 10th, 5:00 - 9:00 pm


Terra Galleria Artworks
2525 Michigan Avenue T-1B
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310)-453-5104

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, Noon to 7:00


For additional information visit Terra Galleria Artworks