Josh Patterson – the solace of empty places

We have the privilege to present Josh Patterson as our June Guest Artist at TVAA Gallery 'N' Gifts.

Josh spent his early years in a cabin his parents built in rural Pennsylvania. What it lacked in modern conveniences (central heating, a flush toilet, television), it more than compensated for with lush forest, old farmhouses moldering under shrouds of vines and endless adventures for an often-barefoot feral child.

That, of course, is where his love of the wild originates. Those early influences - a whispering cathedral of pines carpeted in silent needles, the music of water and metallic flashes of trout, the evening runs after white-tailed deer and the deep silence of a land in slumber - have carried through to his current passion. A place that couldn't be more different from those green eastern forests: The Mojave Desert. Decades later and after a journey that spanned parts of Canada and the entire width of the United States, Josh rediscovered photography and has immersed himself in the lore and natural wonder of the desert.

The Solace of Empty Places is a tribute to the sparse and unexpected beauty of those lands and the deep silence that is an integral part of any time spent in this beautiful wilderness.

His work increasingly focuses on the beauty and fragility of California's vast public lands. He has been published in the Los Angeles Times and across a broad spectrum of media both nationally and internationally and gallery represented by Bermudez Projects in Los Angeles. His work and writing can be viewed at http://www.joshpatterson.photo

Come and join us to welcome Josh during our First Friday event, Friday July 7, 4 to 7 p.m. at Gallery 'N' Gifts, 100 W. Tehachapi Blvd. Beverages and refreshments will be served. "The Solace of Empty Places" will be on display throughout the month of July at our Fine Arts Gallery. Make sure to stop by to admire his work and support this wonderful local artist. Gallery 'N' Gifts is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.