The Alviso Project
The Alviso project evolved out of a larger body of work, exploring the landscape of California. I have been drawn to the marsh and wetlands of the bay area and find myself shooting it over and over. The town of Alviso is located at the bottom of the San Francisco bay. At one point, it was a thriving fishing town, with a cannery and docks and industry. As the land and the bay was sold to the Cargill Salt company, the ecosystem was destroyed and the town emptied, leaving only the poorest. Over the last several years, the marsh has gone through a restoration. The salt ponds are slowly being reclaimed and the town is growing, due to the expansion of Silicon Valley.
I have been shooting the evolution, first to show that despite the destruction, there are areas of great beauty to be found in the marsh and in small spaces, if you look hard enough and second to rejoice in the restoration of habitat and ecosystems. I recently have begun shooting the town and structures, to capture this current in-between state – not totally destroyed, but not a thriving metropolis. The economic crisis of the last few years has slowed the town’s evolution. Bound by the water and the marsh, the Alviso area is a place often overlooked and forgotten in the larger context of the San Francisco Bay Area.
