View a slideshow of photographer Lee-Volker Cox’s work.
Local photographer Lee-Volker Cox is a retired Air Force operations commander who served at Vandenberg Air Force Base beginning in 2008; his attention was immediately grabbed by the colorful rows of flowers cultivated in the Lompoc Valley. He began shooting photos of the fields from a distance, but once he got in close to photograph the people working the fields—with their permission of course—he became interested in the rest of the county’s agriculture industry and the people who make it possible.
“Everyone is so giving and so friendly and open; I wanted to show people who is really the foundation of life around here” he said. “This is an agricultural community still, the basis is, and whether it is working on the flower fields, row crops, the vineyards, out on the ranches with cattle, or training horses, that is the foundation out here.”
Over the last few years, Cox has been focusing on the wide variety of agriculture found in Santa Barbara’s North County, turning his lens to Santa Maria’s strawberries and broccoli, Santa Ynez Valley’s vineyards, Lompoc’s flower fields, cattle and horse ranches, farmers markets, and even cooling facilities at Central City Cooling. The fruit of his cultivation has been harvested and currently showing at the Santa Maria Public Library in the featured exhibit Berries, Blooms, Broccoli, and Bulls.
The show highlights several of the processes involved in growing and harvesting and also includes many picturesque vistas and views of the area’s fields and produce. But the main focus of the show is the people, Cox explained.
“I wanted to tell the whole story of the people who are affiliated with working the land,” he said. “A lot of people say this is the first time they have seen the whole story all in one place.”
Arranged by Cox and hung in the library’s Shepard Hall, the show tells a story, beginning on the hall’s west wall and going around the room. Separated into sections, the show follows a logical progression that is punctuated by the creative framing and arrangements that Cox provides. From the large, stunningly colorful images, to the smaller frames that include up to three photographs, the exhibit offers a flowing presentation of people, produce, animals, and vistas.
The show is also surprisingly educational. The small placards placed by Cox relate history of local ranching families, distribution statistics, and even advanced techniques and technologies used by local farmers, including GPS-aided plowing and water distribution. Easily viewed and enjoyed in half an hour, but definitely enjoyable for longer, the exhibit takes the viewer into a world usually only seen from local highways and enjoyed by taste buds nationwide.
“When you are driving down the highways, there is a lot going on out there,” Cox said. “Whether you are taking the 1 or 101, I want people to look out the window and think about what they are seeing.
“When they see a strawberry field, it isn’t just a bunch of strawberries that will be on their table,” he added. “There are a lot of people working hard—strawberries don’t just happen—and these people really are the heart and soul of the Central Coast and the Central Valley.”
Catch the show
The Santa Maria Public Library presents the exhibit Berries, Blooms, Broccoli, and Bulls by Lee-Volker Cox showing through Feb. 17 in the Santa Maria Public Library’s Shepard Hall, 421 S. McClelland, Santa Maria. More info: 925-0951 or cityofsantamaria.org.
Arts Editor Joe Payne has hankering for fresh produce. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 5, 2015.