Laguna Wilderness Press

Laguna Wilderness Press is saddened to share that we have lost one of our founders, Jerry Burchfield. He passed away on September 11th, 2009 after a long battle with cancer. He was 62.

Jerry Burchfield was an artist, curator, author and educator living in Southern California. From 1973 to 1987, Burchfield was the co-owner with Mark Chamberlain of BC Space Gallery, a pioneering alternative gallery space dedicated to showing non-conformist contemporary photography. From 1987 until recently, he was a Professor of Photography and Photography Gallery Director at Cypress College, Cypress, California.

Known as an environmentally conscious artist-activist, Burchfield's work has received numerous awards including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and has been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe and Japan.

Jerry was a great man, a fantastic photographer, and a brilliant artist. He will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

At present, we are awaiting information regarding his memorial services. Once available, we promise to share this information by request.

See a preview of the cover from Laguna Wilderness Press' upcoming title, Wild and Beautiful: A Natural History of Open Spaces of Orange County by Allan Schoenherr!!! Click the image below to enlarge!!!

Wilderness Series

AVAILABLE NOW!!! - MARCH 2009

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW REVIEW OF JERRY BURCHFIELD'S UNDERSTORY: LUMEN PRINTS OF FLORIDA FLORA ON THE PHOTOBOOK!!! (click HERE)

"Like his earlier Amazon project, the range of colors, tonal patterns, shapes and mass that have been captured in his prints is still magical... We may think that the trees can last forever, but the tree’s very existence is highly dependent upon their vulnerable leaves. I think that Burchfield’s message is that our ecosystem, no matter how robust and invincible that it may seem, is at great risk to changes in the balance of nature." The PhotoBook - July 27, 2009

In 2004, Laguna Wilderness Press, in conjunction with the Center for American Places at Columbia College Chicago, was proud to release Primal Images: 100 Lumen Prints of Amazonia Flora, a fascinating and beautifully rendered exhibition of vegetation from the Amazon by one of our founders, Jerry Burchfield.

Using a new variation of a technique as old as photography, Burchfield created lumen prints, which capitalize on the interaction of humidity, duration and strength of exposure, chemical composition of the plant, and different types of photographic paper to create images that are as alive with color and energy as the jungle itself.

In 2009, Burchfield has returned to this medium to create another stunning work: Understory: Lumen Prints of Florida Flora. With contributions by Kevin Miller and Don Spence, Burchfield has resurrected this technique to highlight the dense, tropical vegetation of Florida. The resulting prints twist our conception of nature to reveal the haunting and mysterious beauty that underscores the environment around us.

PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR NEW REVIEW OF JERRY BURCHFIELD'S PRIMAL IMAGES: 100 LUMEN PRINTS OF AMAZONIA FLORA ON THE PHOTOBOOK!!! (click HERE)

"I find that Burchfield’s lumen prints do provide a visual description of the spirit of these plants and hint at their essence. The slight traces of these plants on the prints are almost eerie in their lack of substance and seem like abstract line tracings. As a result, I find that most of these lumen prints are just outright magical to look at. The specimens just seem to dance on the surface of the print, leaving only an every so light touch of their physical presence behind." The PhotoBook - July 22, 2009

"...a body of work that transcends such utilitarian concerns to explore a mysterious creative arena where chance and skill collaborate." Artweek - December 2003/January 2004

"...the inner luminosity that makes the prints eerily beautiful, more akin to alchemy than photography." The Orange County Register - May 16, 2004

"The best writing and photography in the book are not ponderous studies of the majestic mountains, but rather capture the Winds as dynamic environments that do not exist apart from life but in conjunction with it." Pinedale Roundup - October 5, 2006

"From wildlife, to craggy peaks, to gorgeous lakes, to Red Desert austerity, to wide-angle vistas, every picture is evocative and inspiring... Many of us hold a piece of the Winds in our hearts and minds. Wind River Wilderness gives us a chance to have a piece of the Winds on our bedside tables." NOLS Leader - Spring 2007, Vol. 22, No. 2

"The book includes stories of artists, train robbers, hippies and, strangely enough, a hippopotamus, at various times, seeking refuge among these hills." Los Angeles Times - August 7, 2003

"Nature's Laguna Wilderness will be eye-opening for most people who think there is nothing left in Southern California except malls and freeways. I have never visited Laguna Canyon. Chilcote's photographs make me want to go." Southern Sierran - January 2004

Changing Landscapes Series

Laguna Wilderness Press is pleased to announce the March 2005 publication of Hybrids 1.0 - 3.5, a ninety-six-page book presenting the paintings of Los Angeles artist Paul Paiement. This uniquely designed double foldout book features over 50 color plates of Paiement's fascinating work along with an interview by Laguna Art Museum 's Chief Curator Tyler Stallings and essays by renowned art writers Christopher Miles and Rebecca Niederlander.

"...a photographic archive that would document not only the vacancy of a once vibrant place, but also a unique historical phenomenon in transition." Coast Magazine - June 2005

"Soon, what had initially started a brief forays into a previously forbidden realm, evolved into a major exploration and we (The Legacy Project) were amassing a wonderful collection of intriguing photographs." The Laguna Beach Independent - April 8, 2005

Laguna Wilderness Press is pleased to announce the publication of The Edge of Air, a ninety-six-page book presenting the photographs of The Legacy Project, which consists of six Southern California photographers