Moving Images
- Mary Pat Abruzzo
- Mar 26, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 5, 2023
C. Fodoreanu next exhibit ‘street smart’ beautifully captures the struggle of at risk youth from over-tried families.
Mary Pat Abruzzo
Soft light melted through thin ice windows onto innocent faces. Cornel Fodoreanu, who goes by C., stood humbly in his brand new space, recently opening his first photography studio at the ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station in Point Loma. The black and white photographs of his exhibit, ‘street smart’, collectively filled the room with a powerful tone: the stories of seven children from Southern California’s suburban streets.
Fodoreanu circled the studio counter-clockwise, sharing the story found in each photo. Leo smiles, dancing in a graffiti playground scattered with old tires and trash. Markie and his dog are separated by a chain link fence; this photo was taken 6 months after his father was killed in a gang related shooting. Markie tells people that sometimes he would like to runaway like his dog. A group photo of all seven kids shows these unsung heros looking to the future, the younger ones with fear and the older hopeful. Gang violence, divided families, sickness and death construct their normal. Although their daily lives are filled with a heavy struggle their eyes show a strong resilience and a hope for the future.
‘street smart’, presented by Cornel/Henry Art, is a fundraising exhibition with 50% of the proceedings contributing to an educational fund to support the kids shot on location in San Bernardino. The exhibit’s official opening will be held on Friday, December 6th from 5-6pm during the ART DISTRICT Liberty Station’s free monthly art walk. After the opening at 7pm, there will be a chance to meet and talk to the photographer, Fodoreanu, and the children from the project. Fodoreanu is excited to give these kids a voice, “I am hoping people will be touched by the work because they definitely need some support.”
Born in Romania, Fodoreanu’s family tradition of icon painting, introduced him to both painting and photography at a young age. “When I got my first camera it was a manual Russian camera and if you don’t move the film will double expose things. I made this mistake. But it is more of a play on my life, it is a double exposure, I am a pediatrician and a photographer as well,” Fodoreanu reminisced. Fodoreanu is a full time Kaiser pediatrician at Otay Mesa but even during his training to become a doctor he continued to take photos.
Fodoreanu’s work focuses on “figure photography”, which he describes as an impression of a figure. “Figure meaning anything that has a shape: a body, a tree, a leaf, a combination of them, a shadow” he said. Fodoreanu rapidly jumped into San Diego’s art scene, selected as one of the four Local Talent art visionaries by the Art San Diego 2019. He ended up being chosen by the judges as the 2019 Award Winner.
His 500-square-foot studio sits on the west side of Barracks 15, a former Naval Training Center recently turned flourishing artistic hub. Fodoreanu started an expansive search for an art gallery throughout cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia but picked the ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station to open up his first studio. “ARTS DISTRICTS is the future of arts here in San Diego. There are so many artists in one spot, the support you get here is amazing,” said Fodoreanu.
The mission of their studio, is to create a space of photography free of political constraints. Instead it aims to look at humanity at its purest, with raw fundamental emotions, ideas and esthetics. Fodoreanu expressed his hope for the future, “I want to be my own gallery but I also want to be a gallery for local emerging San Diego photographers and mixed media.” Cornel/Henry Art has upcoming exhibitions ranging from the best works of their Physician Photo Contest to a group show by four San Diego photographers tackling the idea of intimacy. “Trying to be an artist and show your work, it’s not easy,” Fodoreanu said, believing he is in a position to help the art community. “We want to be an open gallery. If your quality of work is good, you’re in.”
Cornel/Henry Art
ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station
Studio 205, Second Floor
Barracks 14
2770 Historic Decatur Rd, San Diego, CA 92106
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