La Línea

A rusty metal fence extending into the Pacific Ocean separates Tijuana, Mexico and the United States in the southwesterly most part of San Diego, CA . I created this image on a cloudy, rainy afternoon at the Friendship Park Of The California’s in San Diego, the name seems incongruous lately. The very first time I visited this now closed park, it saddened me, what should be a beautiful place for friends and families to gather and celebrate now lays empty. Once upon a time friends and family members on both sides used to be able to walk up to the fence to see each other, reach arms through the metal to give hugs, talk to each other, have a laugh together but that was taken away years ago, to learn this saddened me even more. I understand the need for borders but I just wish there was a way to have them without the ugliness both literal and figurative. We live in a beautiful world and I generally try to portray this beauty in my images, some images like this this one are more difficult than others to see the beauty. I believe if we look hard enough the beauty will shine through.

The image I created of this strand of oxidized metal has a lot of symbolism for me, each time I look at it I see a different story. The day I rode my bike over to create this image, I was all by myself at the park, except for the dozens of Border Patrol Agents watching me. I remember well, it was rainy and windy on a gloomy Friday afternoon but on the TJ side of the border I could hear music, laughter and people living life just because it was Friday and they were alive. On my side, total silence and I felt as if I was somewhere I shouldn’t be doing something I shouldn’t be doing, it was strange. I was jealous of those on the other side living life to the fullest and wanted to join them for a cerveza. I live just three miles from the border, I see Tijuana every day on my morning walks with my dog. Living so close to a border, you really can’t help but see the world differently. I see the world as it is but I will alsways try to find the pretty parts and share those through my images.

Thanks as always for following along on my journey, I appreciate your support. I hope you enjoy my images as much as I do creating them. Feel free to reach out if you a comment, question or jut want to say hey.

~ Andrew