Visit to University of California Riverside Museum (California Museum of Photography)

Not far form Riverside Art Museum there is another museum, UCR photograph museum. It is on one side of the street with other shops around but have a really modern look. Dark grey wall with the name on it as well as a fancy television playing artwork that is showing inside the museum.  Since there is a big show coming and artists still preparing for that, so there is not much art inside the main gallery that we can see. However, when you walk inside the museum, your eyes will be caught by a huge wall painting although it is not done yet. I was amazed by the wall painting even though it has not done yet. I saw five exactly same backs in front of me four on the wall and one is drawing it. On the whole wall, there are two bareheaded men coming from water with a naked beautiful back and a chain connected each other. It is a blue watercolor painting, you can even see the movement of the muscles with those two men rising of the water. The artist who is painting is Joe Biel; he is a current faculty at California State University Fullerton. He had some exhibited in galleries nationally and used to teach in University of Redlands. I asked him if this is his back since they look the same, as least with the shirt on, he said he wish( Haha…:) but he is drawing a twin coming from water and the art show will happen soon. We talked about his job as well as his drawing and I let him back to continue working on his artwork. Although we didn’t talk for a long time, this picture stocked in my head I can’t forget.

            On the other side of the museum is California Museum of Photography. On the second floor there are a set of photograph “blocked” by Roberto Fumagalli. Roberto was born in Monza, Italy in 197 and he moved to the LA area in 1999 and did some of the most renowned photographers in Hollywood. The photo in  “blocked” were taken itinerary through Iran, North Korea and Cuba in eleven years and multiple trips. The theme of this set of photo is to reflect multi-layered political and social landscapes of these states. His photo is challenging the western view point of Cuba ----terrorism. He showed us a different aspect of Cuba Iran and North Korean. They are the sufferer of the war too! Here is one picture that gave me the most impression. There is a gun with the American flag print on it that pointing at two Muslim women’s head.  What irony! The poster on the tall building also tells the same message. What did America do to the axis country? This is a peaceful world and no more war is needed! No one get benefit from nuclear weapon. All of the president of the country should look at it and think about how much a person’s life worth? What if the person who died in the war is their family?