Zen of decay by Anastasia Sofos

Photographer, Anastasia Sofos takes us on a feast of urban decay from Northern California to the heart of the beauteous, sublime, trailer park wasteland of a paradise, The Salton Sea.
Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos

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Photographer, Anastasia Sofos takes us on a feast of urban decay from Northern California to the heart of the beauteous, sublime, trailer park wasteland of a paradise, The Salton Sea.

This is what Anastasia calls, the Zen of decay. The ultimate moment of awestruck realities beyond reality where nothing can be felt but a voiceless hum. The Salton Sea represents, without modification, the raw, unpolished masterpiece of evolution.

Brought into creation every 400-600 years, the Salton Sea – the largest lake in California- is born of off run river, rainfall and agricultural run off for tens of thousands of years, drying up in between. The current fill in 1905 birthed and extraordinarily, bushwa, upscale resort town through the 1950’s and 60’s where Hollywood celebrities, debutants and sport events flocked. Vintage trailers, speed boats, yacht club and hotels created the Salton Riviera where hot babes in sunscreen and cat eyed sunglasses glamoured. Without any outflow, the saline levels in the water rose to great extent, 25% above ocean water. Fish died by tens and thousands over the years, their botulism killed the birds, the stench of fish carcasses hung in the air. Salton Riviera: Abandoned.

Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos

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Moved by cycles of birth and decay, Anastasia took the long drive to desolation to create art photography for us. She finds it so rare in our times to see the reality of decay, death, sickness, imperfection so unhidden before replaced quickly, removed, polished, fixed. She seeks to restore the authentic beauty and passion that lives so unabashedly in urban decay. The same wonder of nature filling the dry lake bed for tens of thousands of years, was taking it back, slowly. Labyrinths of dead fish line the shore, trailer park grave yards take a glamorous death like retired stars of Hollywood’s Golden Era, thunder and lightning storms pound as the sun sets behind the beautiful haze of thick air on the blissful gleam of water. The once native land comes through in fierce beauty on what looks apocalypse by the sea.

The photographs seek to communicate compassion, realization and full embrace of the decaying process of our own inner landscapes and of our fellow humans. These images express the need to love the humanity, all of it and the fearlessness available to do so. That nothing is wasted and we all belong here as we are, Love enveloped in the zen of decay.

About Anastasia Sofos

selp (2 of 2)Anastasia is a San Francisco born, Bay Area based photographer utilizing color, black and white digital photography as a medium. Her interest and skill create intimacy with every subject matter from inherent beauty bursting through eroded structures in the Mojave Desert, to the quintessential living spirit forever alive in San Francisco day and night. Urban photography and rustic architecture from India to Oakland, California has been her focus in recent years. She also offers commercial interior and event photography. As a returning featured photographer for Dodho Magazine in Barcelona Spain, her work is also available at Wonderland Gallery in San Francisco, the international Pancakes & Booze Art Show, has shown with LAB Art Show, Vancouver Canada and various local/ international small businesses. Please contact the artist directly for sales, shows, auctions, charity.

Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos
Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos

Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos
Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos

Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos
Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos

Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos
Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos

Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos
Zen of decay | Anastasia Sofos

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Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
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