Art Preview: ‘Non-Native’ by Ingrid Dietrich

Black tennis shoes as if the owner just stepped out of them while walking on a power line. Hundreds of birds flocking over flood lights turned on at a race park at the glimmer of dawn. A billboard of an old man staring at you with his dark, jaded eyes.

These are among 30 photography pieces capturing Los Angeles by Ingrid Dietrich that will be showcased at the Non-Native exhibit at the Croatian Cultural Center on Saturday, April 18.

Immigrating from El Salvador in 2004, Dietrich’s creative channels span not only photography in cityscape, but also in fashion, portraiture, web design and curatorial work. As the years progressed in a city that was once new and glamorous to her, her perspective has shifted as well.

(photo: Ingrid Dietrich)

“Some images of this exhibition were compiled upon my arrival to USA and it showcases my exploration of the city from a non-native perspective,” reflects Dietrich. “Throughout the years, my perspective of the city changed and I stopped paying attention to the tall buildings and started focusing on the mundane, simplistic, everyday life and somehow minimalist Los Angeles, including back alleys, murals, graffiti, and things that characterize the lifestyle and culture of Los Angeles.”

Visitors will also see a few familiar spots from San Pedro.

When not photographing fashion models on the runway or curating for the arts department of the San Pedro Convention and Visitors Bureau, Dietrich’s more introspective work in photography garners attention. Two of the pieces that will be shown at the exhibit were featured in National Geographic Magazine, including “Colorful Ruins” (2010) that is a jarring and colorful depiction of what some called “scary dairy” at an old Camarillo dairy farm that was converted to a mental hospital.

(photo: Ingrid Dietrich)

“This city – Los Angeles – is more than the glamour and glitter. I used to take pictures as a tourist, shooting skyscrapers of downtown, the Hollywood sign, etc. I would love people to leave [the exhibit] with a smile, and hopefully, with the desire to explore the city, and to realize that it is not always about the big picture, but the small elements that comprise that big picture,” shares Dietrich.

Wine and cheese reception for this free exhibit suitable for all ages will be April 18 at 7 p.m. at at the Croatian Cultural Center, 510 W. 7th Street, San Pedro.

For more information on Dietrich and her work, visit: www.mobilestudio.us or find her on Facebook.