the FOUND in LOS ANGELES project
by Ron Barbagallo
A DIALOG THAT STARTED IN THE WOMB
For the 221 days before my birth, I used to share a womb (as I jokingly liked to say) with my twin sister Lori. She and I would go on to spend the next 28 years, 153 days of our life together, debating the ins-and-outs of our shared interests, and counseling each other on nearly every life decision and most importantly to me - Lori and I would make fine art.
Throughout the 1970s, and almost to the end of the 80s, I made art with my twin sister Lori. Before and at the time of her passing, I specialized in realistic oil paintings while Lori explored Fine Art photography working in the area of Abstract Expressionist Found Object. I consulted heavily on all her imagery which focused on photographing abstract elements found in the streets of Bayonne, NJ and New York City.
However, that collaboration came to an abrupt end when she died in 1988, and within a few years of her passing, I would go on to change careers, change most of my habits and this is key - go on to abandon all of the things we used to do together.
Rusted Steel Against May's Blue Sky
Outside in our parent's backyard
Bayonne, New Jersey
35mm chrome positive
Fall 1979
© Lori Barbagallo with Ron Barbagallo 1979
The Hudson Valley River School
Outside Cinema Secrets Beauty Supply
Toluca Lake, California
Created with a digital camera
February 18, 2013
© Ron Barbagallo 2013
But life has a funny way of coming full circle, and while the idea of making fine art without her muse was an unbearable idea for a long time, within that time digital devices with cameras in them were created. This type of camera represented type of artistic tool that didn't remind me of her, and were by way of the dissimilarity different enough to get me to try. The only kicker is my return to making art was not as a realistic oil painter. Instead, my return came by way of our two artistic halves becoming one and my picking up where our artistic dialogue left off - using a camera to create "emotional landscapes" from abstract elements found within the streets where I live.
This is why in 2012, I founded the FOUND in LOS ANGELES project. It is a new digitally-based fine art photography 'project' that allows me to re-experience the dialog I had with my twin sister by way of bringing what we did to the diverse spiral that is the streets of LA.
- Ron Barbagallo, September 2014