Leland Y. Lee

Leland Y. Lee at his 2010 photography exhibition, age 91

Elrod House, Palm Springs, 1968, by Leland Y. Lee

In the 1950s, Leland Y. Lee (left) assists Julius Shulman (right) 

SOUL SEARCHING: Fire-ravaged architectural photographer Leland Y. Lee longs to keep alive a four-decade legacy
by Jack Levitan, Eichler Network ©2010
 
Throughout his 40 years as an architectural photographer, Leland Lee had one goal in mind—to capture the soul of every building he shot. The soul never dies, but photographs are far more fragile. When fire hits, the soul flits up to heaven. Photos curl and burn.

Lee photographed work by some of Southern California's foremost modern architects and designers, including residences by John Lautner, Pierre Koenig, A. Quincy Jones, Edward Fickett, and John Rex.

Lee, 91, a straight-talking man with piercing blue eyes, a calm manner, and easy laugh, succeeded with his camera because he worked hard, approached his photography as an art, and always sought to bring out what was best in the architecture.

He never let anything stop him—not tough lighting conditions, impossible sites, or tight deadlines—and he always got the job done with a smile. "He had great presence as a gentleman, a lot of self-respect, and also respect for others," remembers Carole Soucek-King, who edited Designers West magazine from 1978 to 1993 and has been friends with Lee ever since. Full article at Eichler Network ...

View photography by Leland Y. Lee at H•D contemporary

Carlo D'Alessio

Artist Carlo D'Alessio is silhouetted against his new painting titled "Hot Stuff" as it hangs on the wall in his home studio in Palm Springs.  The 48 x 72 inch painting uses acrylic and varnish on hard board and depicts fire. Photograph by Crystal Chatham, The Desert Sun.

CARLO D'ALESSIO:  INSIDE THE ARTIST STUDIO
by Kimberly Nichols, The Desert Sun ©2015
 
To understand the meticulousness of Carlo D'Alessio's painting process, one need only look at his most recent work "Hot Stuff." An intense volume of fire bursts forth from a dark background, flames throbbing outwards to emit a palpable heat until the viewer realizes they are not looking at a hearth, but a canvas. His work showcases the kind of hyperrealism that only those with impeccable patience can truly possess.

D'Alessio's is the kind of art that requires quiet, stillness and a monk-like lack of distraction, which is why he prefers maintaining his studio within his home. A basic, bare room with four white walls provides a Zen-like envelope into which he steps daily for the monastic insulation that coddles his concentration best. It was also strategically chosen for its limited north lighting, which is consistently diffused.  "I like that I can control the lighting," D'Alessio explains, "so that no matter what time of day or night, my colors are consistent. I want to see the exact same blue at midnight that I see at noon."

A central painting space is where the current work resides. The remaining walls display finished pieces for review and contemplation. A small desk holds a computer and telephone. There is a drawing board for working out solutions to ideas and an exercise bike for breaks in between heightened bouts of focus. There might be light music from time to time and because it's private, the studio is clothing optional.  "Because of the level of detail in my work, I need everything else around me to be minimalist, predictable and organized," D'Alessio adds. "It's more like a laboratory, or a self-contained spaceship."

He spends the majority of his time here and especially enjoys the fact that he can work all night, access his large-scale paintings in progress at whim. Sometimes he will pull boards outside in the backyard to sand on a nice day, or take time to refresh in the pool if he's feeling blocked, but for the most part his sanctuary remains his studio.  D'Alessio is now at work on a piece utilizing elements of a technique called "bokeh." It consists of blurring sources of light through paint.  More at The Desert Sun ...

View artwork by Carlo D'Alessio at H•D contemporary