The Memoirist

My photography explores the intersections of people and the environment: how the human relationship to society, economy, and community is being influenced, transformed by contemporary economic forces and global environment and change. Growing up in San Jose, my work approach draws heavily upon my roots in the state’s technology capital, Silicon Valley, which serves both as the backdrop and thematic touchstone of my work for several years. “Waiting & In-Transit” is a direct reactionary response and outgrowth from my observations. It focuses on individuals who I come in direct contact with or sharing a brief moment of conversation during my daily commute navigating the constraint and difficulties of public transportations. Shared time, quick interactions or full conversations, a connection is formed. Life's pain, affliction, and constraint are but some of the experiences which draw me to document their life’s tribulations on that instant.

Photographer and Ceramics artist, Robert Ragazza, was born in the Philippines and raised in San Jose. He grew up embracing the diverse cultures, believing that they all have commonalities. As one of his passions, community volunteerism, he has donated countless hours of his time as well as his artworks for fundraising, supporting the arts and to give back to the communities that inspire him. He currently juggles multiples projects while still find times to work as a Volunteer Teaching Assistant for Terri Garland at San Jose City College Photography Department. Robert is a prolific photographer. He has shot covers, fashion and editorial portfolios for modeling agencies and product lay-out for magazines. Never without a camera, Robertino engages himself in knowing his subjects, making them aware he is genuinely interested in their stories. An observer who loves to capture the moment, his influences are countless and spontaneous. Observations through life experiences and travels affect Robert's creativity, finding he is at his best with street portrait work. The visual expressions of emotion is apparent in each photo he takes, whether the focus is a young girl chasing a pigeon, a homeless man with multiple layers of blankets wrapped around his waist, or an older man who just been startled and awaken while in transit. "Light becomes my paintbrush and printing provides the meditative process that brings life to my subjects, giving me patience and a sense of peace," says that Buddhist convert. 

Robert's photographic style is composed of images that are captivating yet poignant, a culmination of sharp attention to details, precise lighting, and strong composition with great visual sense. In today's world of digital images, Robert still works with films, finding the excitement of waiting and element of surprise fascinating. Robert's photographic series are ongoing documentations of the beauty, struggles, grief and joys of life around. His eventual ambition is to create a narrative exhibition from the imagery he has taken around San Jose.

Goals: Exhibit about 200 black & white traditional selenium-tones silver gelatin photographic images of San Jose in a gallery and concurrently project those same images as a slide show on the side of the City Hall and throughout the city's buildings visible for the public to see.....

i am.....

I am a lover. I am a photographer. I am a collector. I am a dreamer. I am a traveler. I am a fighter. I am a romantic. I am a voice. I am knowledge. I am an open mind. I am an emotional. I am a representation of living art. I am beautiful. Most importantly I am......

Letter of Nomination: 

I have had the pleasure of knowing Robert Ragazza for the past ten years. As a photography instructor at San Jose City College, I am constantly viewing student work, whether images printed by my students or those from other classes. Robert was enrolled in another black and white beginning class when I first encountered his well seen and above average prints. He began coming in to utilize the open lab policy on nights I would teach and we commenced having long conversations about photography specifically and art in general.

Like a sponge, Robert was eager to learn as much as possible about photography ­ the history, all technical aspects (including color and alternative processes) as well as the social implications of the still image. As he began to attend exhibitions and collect photographic monographs, his intense love of the medium started to manifest in very strong work - his print quality became stellar and he developed an eye ever attuned to capturing marvelous bits and streaks of light in his photographs.  Robert's images are strictly the most traditional of all photography, his images are printed full-frame and un-cropped.

But formal excellence on its own seldom produces a remarkable piece of art or body of work. Robert has the all-important ability to combine impeccable print quality and a great compositional eye with strong content. It is such a joy to watch student work evolve into solid and substantial documents.

Because he works in series, Robert has begun in earnest to hone his editing skills- something that is a challenge for all photographers. This was in strong evidence when he held his first major exhibition two years ago at the Keeble and Schucat Photography gallery space in Palo Alto. For weeks, I watched (and offered my opinion when asked) him sequence his images, ever mindful of the effect of how one photograph would appear when placed against another. Since that time, I have been proud to see his work featured in local exhibitions as well as two images accepted into the recent statewide Photography Competition/Exhibition held at the Triton Museum earlier this year.

Students in beginning traditional darkroom photography are often overwhelmed by the plethora of things that can go wrong. If one does not quickly adapt to a standard routine when developing film and making prints, mistakes may outnumber the successes. Robert has been assisting me in my classes for several years now. Student work is always stronger when Robert is around. His patience with students is rewarded by ever-improving work on their parts. If a student is struggling, Robert will set his own projects aside to spend extra time helping that person. There is not a class session that goes by in which I don¹t hear a thank-you coming from one appreciative person or another.

Robert is a born traveler and from this love some of his most striking images have evolved. Several years ago I, along with a number of friends and a handful of advanced students, rented a large house in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico in order to document the annual holiday honoring the patron saint. Robert was on that trip. There was a special camaraderie between Robert and a few of the other people on that journey; since that time, Robert and those other students have traveled to Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Poland, Mexico, and Guatemala. He and another student just returned from three weeks in France. Because he is such a genuine and consummate people person, Robert can more easily transcend language barriers than just about anyone I know. Because of this, the images he makes on his odysseys are personal and function as an extension of him; they seldom speak of "travel".

I sometimes jokingly refer to Robert as the unofficial mayor of San Jose; he does seem to know just about everybody. As a popular Guest Services Agent/Concierge at The Hotel Sainte Claire, this no doubt comes in handy professionally. He is a member Silicon Valley Concierge Association. When I first met Robert, he was active in HIV community outreach, passing out condoms and health information at downtown nightclubs, an activity he continues to this day. He is an active and supportive member of Hiyas Philippine Dance Company and he has donated countless hours to the annual Cinequest Film Festival as a Room Reservationist, Head Concierge and Hospitality Manager.

On many occasions I have encouraged Robert to take the next step forward in his artistic career. Usually he would smile shyly and change the conversation. I am so pleased that he has come to see the value in his work as well as his contribution to the photographic community at large. As a former recipient of an Arts Council Visual Arts Fellowship, I know the profound impact such an award can have on ones belief in oneself and the ability to carry ideas forward into future work.  As such, I am proud to know Robert Ragazza and honored to nominate him for the 2013 Emerging Artist award.

Sincerely,

Terri L. Garland