{"id":5339,"date":"2025-07-01T19:45:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T19:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/?p=5339"},"modified":"2025-07-01T23:32:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T23:32:27","slug":"abstraction-essence-by-dan-cabe-johnny-stafford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/2025\/07\/01\/abstraction-essence-by-dan-cabe-johnny-stafford\/","title":{"rendered":"Abstraction &amp; Essence by Dan Cabe &amp; Johnny Stafford"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"5339\" class=\"elementor elementor-5339\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-81ba136 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"81ba136\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b6353a6\" data-id=\"b6353a6\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a16cfd2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a16cfd2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p><h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>Abstraction &amp; Essence<\/i><\/b><\/h1><hr \/><h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Dan Cabe &amp; Johnny Stafford<\/h3><h4 style=\"text-align: center;\">July 3 &#8211; August 3, 2025<\/h4><p style=\"text-align: center;\">ArtHop Reception: Thursday, July 3rd, 5-8PM<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-478fbad elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-gallery\" data-id=\"478fbad\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-gallery.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-gallery\">\n\t\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-5339 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"478fbad\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"WBPL #723\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6NTM0NCwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6XC9cL3NwZWN0cnVtcGhvdG9nYWxsZXJ5Lm9yZ1wvaG9tZVwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNVwvMDdcL1dCUEwtNzIzLmpwZyIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6IjQ3OGZiYWQifQ%3D%3D\" href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WBPL-723.jpg?ssl=1\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WBPL-723.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-5344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WBPL-723.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WBPL-723.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WBPL-723.jpg?resize=1024%2C681&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WBPL-723.jpg?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/WBPL-723.jpg?resize=210%2C140&amp;ssl=1 210w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-5344'>\n\t\t\t\tWBPL #723 Dan Cabe\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"478fbad\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Johnny Stafford_Yosemite Winter-2024\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6NTM0MywidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6XC9cL3NwZWN0cnVtcGhvdG9nYWxsZXJ5Lm9yZ1wvaG9tZVwvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNVwvMDdcL0pvaG5ueS1TdGFmZm9yZF9Zb3NlbWl0ZS1XaW50ZXItMjAyNC1zY2FsZWQuanBlZyIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6IjQ3OGZiYWQifQ%3D%3D\" href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Johnny-Stafford_Yosemite-Winter-2024-scaled.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Johnny-Stafford_Yosemite-Winter-2024-scaled.jpeg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-5343\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Johnny-Stafford_Yosemite-Winter-2024-scaled.jpeg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Johnny-Stafford_Yosemite-Winter-2024-scaled.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Johnny-Stafford_Yosemite-Winter-2024-scaled.jpeg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Johnny-Stafford_Yosemite-Winter-2024-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Johnny-Stafford_Yosemite-Winter-2024-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Johnny-Stafford_Yosemite-Winter-2024-scaled.jpeg?w=1960&amp;ssl=1 1960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-5343'>\n\t\t\t\tYosemite Winter-2024 Johnny Stafford \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-70cad36 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"70cad36\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-71c133c\" data-id=\"71c133c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c99b2e8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c99b2e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dan Cabe &#8211; The<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> images in \u201cAbstraction &amp; Essence\u201d were created at Weston Beach, Point Lobos. They have everything, and nothing, to do with that place. I\u2019ve always been a bit of an Edward Weston fan. Point Lobos has long been associated with Weston, one of the iconic photographers of the 20<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> century. It\u2019s also where Weston\u2019s ashes were scattered into the Pacific at Pebbly Beach, that stretch of beach is now called Weston Beach.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a trip to Pacific Grove, I decided it was time to find Weston Beach. I knew I wanted to photograph it but I didn\u2019t know how. The last thing I wanted to do was make black and white images similar to those of Weston. I decided to create abstracts. I\u2019ve played with abstraction off and on over the years but this was my first serious project. Aaron Siskind has long been another influence of mine. This is where we move from Weston to Siskind as having more to do with the images. Weston was the inspiration for the place, Siskind was the inspiration for the approach.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re all influenced by others. The trick is to take that inspiration and do something different with it. Hopefully, I\u2019ve accomplished that goal. But that\u2019s for you to decide. I\u2019d like to thank Johnny Stafford for sharing this show, and this space, with me.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I have both AA and BA degrees in Photojournalism. I worked briefly as a photojournalist &amp; commercial photographer after college. Following that I worked in elementary education. I went on to earn a Master\u2019s Degree in Educational Technology. Upon entrance into the master\u2019s program, I worked primarily in all aspects of educational technology including; network creation, tech support, instruction and assessment.<\/span><\/p><hr \/><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enigmatic Excursions &#8211; \u00a0Johnny Stafford<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Nature has always been an enigma to me. It has a duality to it that draws me in like nothing else in my life. In one sense, it is a calming presence. I live amongst nature, I venture off deeper into it when I can,\u00a0 and I often think of it when I\u2019m not there. I love being amongst all things natural- be it the forest, swimming in the ocean, hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing, anything that gets me out there. Yet, nature can also have a disconcerting effect on me. I have a fearful respect of it, knowing it\u2019s a powerful force capable of taking my life, and I\u2019m frequently reminded of that power when I\u2019m out in it. That\u2019s part of the allure- that the thing which I\u2019m so drawn can end me, as it has so many who have sought after it\u2019s charms have found.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This show is about that duality. In venturing out, I\u2019m seeking that \u201cperfect image\u201d, knowing full well that we can only make a feeble attempt at capturing the visual stimulation and the varied emotions of what we feel when we\u2019re out there experiencing that perfect sunset or pondering the mystery of the turning of fall. Anyone who\u2019s ever shot a nature picture has tried to capture a bit of the magic that most feel when they\u2019re in nature. We\u2019re in search of that nirvana, but the very thing that draws us offers those frequent reminders that it\u2019s in charge and we\u2019re only spectators. We seek to take a slice of that moment, capture it in this machine, and take that back with us, later to remind us of the fleeting moments of life and how those precious experiences are noteworthy and valuable. However, it\u2019s these captured, almost stolen moments, that help to give life the meaning that we so desperately seek. Finding the beauty, while surrounded by our mortality and the reminders of the fleeting nature of life, is what draws me to these places.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As I venture out to that which gives me purpose, I\u2019m sometimes with others, but frequently alone. It\u2019s this time alone when I realize that I\u2019m home, yet not really, as nature can readily remind me that I\u2019m only visiting.\u00a0 Joseph Conrad summed it up best in Heart of Darkness<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 \u201cNo, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one\u2019s existence&#8211;that which makes its truth, its meaning&#8211;its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream&#8211;alone.\u201d<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2015\u00a0<\/span><\/i><b><i>Joseph Conrad,\u00a0<\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/work\/quotes\/2877220\"><b><i>Heart of Darkness<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet, I will keep seeking that \u201cperfect image\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-de509d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"de509d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 Abstraction &amp; Essence Dan Cabe &amp; Johnny Stafford July 3 &#8211; August 3, 2025 ArtHop Reception: Thursday, July 3rd, 5-8PM WBPL #723 Dan Cabe Yosemite Winter-2024 Johnny Stafford Dan Cabe &#8211; The images in \u201cAbstraction &amp; Essence\u201d were created at Weston Beach, Point Lobos. They have everything, and nothing, to do with that place. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70,10],"tags":[209,210,207,199,157,72,75,95,201,191,11,170,96,89],"class_list":["post-5339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-exhibit","category-exhibitions","tag-abstractart","tag-abstraction","tag-california","tag-digital-photography","tag-documentary","tag-fine-art","tag-fine-art-photography","tag-fresno","tag-fresnoca","tag-galleryexhibition","tag-landscape","tag-landscapephotography","tag-photography","tag-spectrum-art-gallery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5339"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5369,"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5339\/revisions\/5369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spectrumphotogallery.org\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}