BCITY PRINTS

Years ago I used to sell prints at a local flea market in Houston. Occasionally, I’d take on gigs for different companies and organizations. While it was a great learning experience for my 20s, I became disenchanted with the whole thing. I felt like I was being pulled away from the art itself with every compromise I had to make in order to pay bills. Photography has always been more than a job for me—it’s my life. The camera has dominated my thoughts since I first held one in my hands when I was two years old. It took a global pandemic and a life-altering move to the Caribbean with my wife to reorient me towards my personal legend. Essentially, I want to make photographs and spread this love of capturing the sights around me to as many people as possible. It is a core belief of mine that art has the power to transform lives, essentially because it is a form of love.

A few months before the pandemic began in 2020, I started driving out to different Texas towns, armed with a few film cameras and a bag of film. It began as a way of saying “goodbye” to my home state, because my wife and I had planned a move to New York in the summer. The first two expeditions changed me forever. I was out of my comfort zone in urban areas, but surrounded by historic buildings and compelling architecture. Determined to explore further, I designed a few more trips. The next thing I know, the pandemic begin and suddenly, everything was thrown in flux.

While the events of 2020 unfolded, Texas re-opened and I decided to go back on the road. By the time I finished the last road trip in June of 2021, I had explored more than ninety different towns, covering thousands of miles cumulatively. The amount of material I had, combined with the life events I experienced during that timeframe needed an outlet. So, for the past three years in Puerto Rico, I’ve been hammering away at this comprehensive endeavor that has proven to be far more difficult than the photography project itself. It’s forced me to go deep and get personal with my feelings, because without them, the photos would certainly have been far less meaningful. The book is nearly complete. save for some finishing touches.

The process has been one of personal growth, replete with temporary setbacks, but ultimately net positive. I began my photography journey in 2011, satisfied with the mere act of creating the work. Now that I am older and in my thirties, my preferred form of expression as evolved into a desire to put it all together and publish books. The Texas Towns project is only one of many ideas I have percolating. Stay tuned for more updates.

Frank

bayoucityprints@gmail.com
Tel. 832.693.0311
Instagram @ bayoucityprints