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Pej Behdarvand‘s expansive photographs of the ocean are a symbol for dreams and aspirations. The exhibit, Dreaming California is on view from April 16 until May 21 at drkrm/gallery as a part of the month-long MOPLA festival in L.A. It was a pleasure to learn more about the work from him:
You describe these photographs as a longing for elsewhere, yet most people fantasize about moving to the west coast. Since you are originally from Tehran, but essentially grew up in California, do you see both the reality and idealized image of the Golden State from inside and out?
I was a child when we migrated here and my family did not fill my mind with hopes and dreams regarding the move, so I personally did not have an idealized image or fulfilled or unfulfilled expectations about the state. I use California more as a metaphor for a state of being that includes hope, doubt, idealization and fear. It is just shy of the moment of actualization taking place. Nothing is born yet and therefore, reality has not set in. No light, or very little light, has been shed.
California is such a wonderful magnet. People come here for the sunshine, fame, fortune and many other reasons. People come here not only to achieve their dreams, but they also come to America for basic survival. Most Iranians who came here after the revolution did so simply to not be killed. There was no time to dream.
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The silver light on the water is beautiful and I am surprised to learn these images were photographed in bright sun rather than moonlight. Could you please share more about your intention to construct a nocturnal image using the ‘Day for Night’ cinematography technique?
Honestly, my technique was secondary as I never intentionally set out to do this project. I was in Guadalupe, California waiting for the sun to fall and the full moon to rise so I could continue to do my Full Moon series that month. I was at the beach and just hanging out and took some photos and was very unsatisfied as something looked “wrong” to me. I closed down the aperture, I think even accidentally, and bingo it looked great, but I knew I had to fix it more in Photoshop. The underlying ”unconscious” intent was to get away from reality in order to create a mysterious landscape. It was a desire to get away from day-to-day life, which in reality is what I personally enjoy most about photography. They are romantic landscapes—an escape from the banal world to connect with something larger than life. Aesthetically, I simply also like a lot of dark area in images.
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I read that your interest in documenting African bodybuilders initially came from an assignment. It’s wonderful that you combine editorial and personal work in a way that is complimentary rather than divergent. Was this project also sparked by a story which you explored further from your own perspective?
This project came about while I was doing another personal series, Full Moon (above). I photographed the full moon every month for two years. I initiated that project as I wanted to create a series that required discipline. Aside from the structure that this series provided, I was interested in the moon as a protagonist in a contemporary landscape. Historically, this body of mass had been so significant in mythology, poetry and astrology and today it holds very little meaning for most people. I wanted to not only have my own relationship with it, but to continue to represent it photographically. Dreaming California came about while I was at the beach one day in Guadalupe, California waiting for it to get dark.
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The light shimmering on the horizon appears to dissolve like diamonds into the open ocean. If there is glamour, you present it as understated and serene. How are these images meditative on the larger idea of dreams?
On a larger scale, I hope these images not only ponder upon dreams, but more specifically on the relationship between the conscious and the unconscious. I am always fascinated by the parts of myself that drive me that I am not totally aware of as well as what may drive a collective movement. There is a magical place between light and dark that I hope these images convey.
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