A Fearless Eye – The Photography of Barbara Ramos
Opening reception: Friday, March 6, 5-8 pm
Exhibit Dates: March 6 – April 18, 2026
Meet the Artist: TBD
Curated by: Melissa Castro Keesor
I only recently resurrected my photography archives of the work I’d created in the early and mid-70’s. It was the pandemic which forced me to peruse my negatives, most which I’d never printed or shown before. I’d spent most of my adult life working and raising two children and had all but forgotten about photography. Being a photographer and seeing was something that took one hundred percent of my energy. For me it was impossible to raise children, earn a living and to be totally present to take photographs. My photographs were never seen by my family and friends. The silver lining of this pandemic was being able to once again be present and get back to seeing.
Most of these vintage images were taken in Los Angeles and San Francisco. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley after moving there from New York when I was six years old. I was always interested in art as a child and young adult. I discovered photography during my second year of college where I was studying painting. What fascinated me most about photography was the immediacy of its image making results, something that was not possible with painting. I felt very comfortable with the medium.
Many of the photographs that I took in Los Angeles were explorations of unfamiliar environments and their human inhabitants. There were many places I explored and I especially liked photographing surreal areas of the San Fernando Valley where I was raised. Moving to San Francisco in 1969 to study photography at the San Francisco Art Institute, I continued to explore in unfamiliar territory on the streets of San Francisco.
I think I was somewhat fearless when I took these images. These photographs are a body of work which I never thought would be revived and I’m grateful that I did delve into digitizing my vintage negatives and begin to show them and bring them back to life.
It’s been interesting to also get back into taking photographs during this time in my life, albeit I’ve had to deal with the age of digital photography. Digital technology is bringing me back to once again photograph and is also helping me to digitize and archive my work from the past.
-Barbara Ramos