Valley of the Hearts Delight
Project info

San José, California is the Capital of Silicon valley but it was once referred to as the Valley of the Hearts Delight. The later moniker speaks to the history of the city, which is that of an incredibly rich farming region. During the 1950s and ‘60s San José’s population grew nearly ten times in size, eventually transforming farmland into high-tech firms.

Nearly 15 years ago I left San José to move to pursue higher education. When I come back to visit I drive around to see how much has changed and look for familiar landmarks. Technology companies drive the every increasing rate of change taking place in Silicon Valley. Familiar markers of home are torn down for new high-end retail, luxury apartments or high-rise. Memories of my hometown are plucked away and replaced with something new and seemingly unreal, leaving me with a sense of amnesia.

Given San José’s contributions to inventing technologies that change culture, politics, and governments it is thought of as a place that invents the future. However, this area has very few markers of its young history. This series aims to capture this transitional period through architecture when San José underwent rapid urbanization.

To accentuate feelings of the past I use the frame of the film stocks. I am limited to 12 captures in utilizing my Hasselblad 500 C/M. In doing so, I must take the time to carefully choose, to slow down, and to frame a mirrored image, which creates a temporal contrast between past and future.