“Central Valley Portraits” by Yehuda Sharim
Central Valley Portraits is a photography and multimedia project created by photographer, filmmaker, and poet Yehuda Sharim. Comprised of a series of photographs paired with poetic ruminations captured through his use of film, audio, and text, this multi-media project reflects facets of everyday life during such trying and wounding times in the open fields and the changing urban complexes of Merced, California.
Whether taking in panoramic views of the sky with flocks of birds traveling in mass during sunset or intimately portraying encounters with strangers who become friends, “Central Valley Portraits” offers a kaleidoscopic narrative of Merced, CA from no singular point of perspective. Fragmented thoughts in the form of text and audio bites also cross transnational borders, culminating in a sense of shared grief and collective hope.
The times in which we live are times of dismay, anxiety, devastation, countless tragedies, hopelessness, and anger. All around us, beyond and within the U.S., democratic apparatuses are struggling to imagine freedom, throwing up nationalists, bigots, and fascists. How did we and how can we survive such mounting waves of suffering and loss in the Central Valley? Where do we store and archive our wounds, anxieties, and uncaged dreams? And where can we locate the living archives for renewal and new times?
Yehuda Sharim is a writer, filmmaker, and poet. His work focuses on the relationship between the quotidian and poetic. His documentary films have appeared in film festivals, artistic venues, and universities across the world. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Program of Global Art Studies, University of California, Merced.
This work is made possible by: The Merced County Arts Council, University of California, Merced, UC Merced Center for the Humanities, and UC Merced Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
