Ecologue

David Paul Bayles is a documentary and contemporary art photographer who shares his unique perspective on environmental issues via his surreal photographs. When David realized that he wanted to become a photographer, he was living in the suburbs of Los Angeles during the early seventies. His photography school of choice was expensive, so he he began searching for opportunities to earn a large amount of money in a short time. His sister’s boyfriend invited him to leave the city and go live in the Sierra Nevada mountains working as a logger; David accepted and before he knew it, he spent four years logging and building a bond with the forest and the trees that call it home.

During his time studying photography in Santa Barbara, David became committed to environmentalism. One might assume that David’s transition from logger to environmentalist represents a drastic shift in his worldview, but David retained both perspectives, resulting in “an authentic and unique approach to his photographic projects.” He focuses on photographing landscapes where the interests of humans and the environment “often collide, sometimes coexist and on occasion find harmony” and his work often includes commentary on the human-forest relationship captured in his shots.

David is currently debuting thirteen new works from the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest at the Pop-Up Gallery across the street from the 2nd Street Beanery in downtown Corvallis. Doors will be open from 1pm to 6pm every Saturday between now and August 11 and the exhibit will also be open during the Corvallis Arts Walk from 4pm to 7pm on Thursday, July 19. Check out a preview of Bayles’ work on his website.

“Work.” David Paul Bayles, www.davidpaulbayles.com/.