Karen Ballard: Venice, CA
American photographer Karen Ballard showcases her work at this year’s Visa pour l’Image with a solo exhibition at Maison de la Catalanité, highlighting her long-running documentary project centered on Venice, California.
The project, titled *Venice, CA*, offers a unique and intimate perspective on this famous Californian coastal town, renowned for its artistic spirit, eclectic vibe, and public beach. Venice stands as a mix of beauty, surf culture, affluence, and stark societal issues, coexisting in the same space. Over the past decade, the town has gradually transformed from its storied past to a more vibrant, yet complex, modern-day community.
Founded on July 4, 1905, by visionary Abbot Kinney, Venice was originally conceived as a “Venice of America,” modeled after its Italian namesake, complete with canals, gondolas, and a pier featuring an amusement park. Though much of that original vision has faded, with the pier having burned down and many canals filled in, Kinney’s dream lives on. Today, Venice Beach attracts millions of visitors each year, making it one of the top tourist destinations in Southern California, second only to Disneyland.
In the past decade, Venice has seen a wave of gentrification fueled by the tech industry, which has brought new wealth but also significant challenges. Many locals see this influx of money as a threat to the character of their once-gritty beach town, home to over 40,000 residents. The tech boom has exacerbated income inequality, driven up rental prices, and worsened the homelessness crisis, which was further impacted by the pandemic, dramatically altering the fabric of the neighborhood.
Reflecting on her long-term project, Ballard remarks, “I never could have anticipated that my work, spanning over a decade and a half, would capture Venice in the midst of such significant change. The growing disparity between wealth and poverty in Venice is a microcosm of what’s happening across America in the 21st century.”
As Venice continues to evolve, Ballard’s photographs offer a thoughtful exploration of its present while acknowledging its rich history and hinting at what lies ahead.
About the Author
Karen Ballard is an acclaimed photojournalist, portrait photographer, and still photographer for film and television, based in Los Angeles. Her career includes covering significant events in Washington D.C., as well as assignments across the globe, including the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Steven Spielberg, recognizing her journalistic eye, hired her as the unit photographer for *Munich*, leading to her involvement in over 20 feature films. She has worked with Daniel Craig on *Quantum of Solace*, Tom Cruise on *Jack Reacher*, and Sylvester Stallone on *Rambo* and *The Expendables*. Recently, she contributed to HBO Max’s *Hacks* and Apple TV’s *The Morning Show*. Ballard’s photography is part of the permanent collections at the Smithsonian American History Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Her first encounter with Venice Beach was at the age of 17, where she captured the spirit of the place on film and vowed to return. A quarter of a century later, she made Venice her home and began documenting its diverse, ever-changing community.
Karen Ballard: Venice, CA
August 31–September 15
Visa Pour L’Image – Maison de la Catalanité – Perpignan, France
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