The workshop I attended in Carmel Valley, CA, in March, The Luminous Print, led by John Sexton and Charles Cramer, was an eye-opening exploration of advanced printmaking techniques, both in the darkroom and on the computer. But we also visited Ansel Adams’ nearby studio where John worked as Ansel’s assistant for three years, paid a visit to Weston Beach at Lobos Point, and spent a couple of hours at an abandoned state prison nearby. The prison was decommissioned about 15 years ago and its yard is currently used by a sand and gravel company. The interior was an eerie and haunting landscape of peeling paint, broken fixtures, and rusting metal. And lots of provocative graffiti.
