A Defining Frame from Van Nuys
Van Nuys Boulevard, last Wednesday night in June, 1972. Another warm and wonderful summer evening in ‘The Valley.’ The pavement and the sidewalk were bathed in the bright glow of the signature triple streetlights above the street.
The sizzling heat of the day now lingered as gentle evening warmth in the air and pavement. A San Fernando Valley night at its best.
The boulevard hummed with the sound of the cruise night traffic, visual flashes of color and chrome, hints of music from the sound systems of the passing cars. The heartbeat of America.
Just north of Burbank Boulevard, perfectly illuminated under the bright streetlights, stood a super-nice, white, 1968 Mustang Fastback with three young people clearly enjoying the evening, completely at ease under the glow. This was a perfect scene, it couldn’t have been better had it been carefully crafted by a stage designer, yet it was completely spontaneous, a visual delight.
They saw me approaching. They saw my camera. They knew. They understood what I was doing, and they held their places. It was a gift.
Bare feet against warm pavement, bare feet resting on painted steel. Around them, traffic moved steadily through the frame, not rushing, not blurring wildly, but flowing past with a quiet rhythm that completed this wonderful evening scene.
Southern California at its best.
I made several exposures from multiple angles, all three people held steady, a brief exchange of conversation, and I cruised on my way. Later that night, I would develop the night’s film in my darkroom.
I shot a great many images on the boulevard, but only in later review, and with the passing of time, would this image emerge as the singularly definitive image of this entire series from Van Nuys Boulevard and the cruising culture. Just maybe, this is the defining image of not only the California Dream, but of the American dream for a burgeoning generation at the time.
The Moment, In Color
For more than five decades, California Dream existed only in black and white, made on Tri-X film and developed by hand in my darkroom.
The color interpretation began when German graphic artist Holger Ehlers encountered the image and contacted me about exploring it in color. He responded to the feeling of the photograph, the atmosphere of that night, and wondered whether that warmth could be expressed differently.
Over many weeks we worked together carefully, talking through tone and light, surfaces and shadows. We revisited the way the streetlights fell across the pavement, the quiet movement of traffic, the balance between stillness and motion. Wherever possible we tried to stay true to the colors of the time, choosing tones that felt consistent with the period and the atmosphere of the boulevard. The process was deliberate and unhurried.
The goal was not to change the moment, but to reenter it. The color was shaped to reflect the warmth and ease of that evening on the boulevard.
The black and white photograph remains the foundation. The color interpretation stands alongside it, drawing the viewer into the atmosphere I experienced under the triple streetlights.
The Edition
The color edition of California Dream is offered in select image sizes:
Standard Sizes
Edition of 30 each + 5 artist proofs
6-5/8″ x 10″
Initial release price: $700
8″ X 12″
Initial release price: $1,400
12″ x 18″
Initial release price: $2,400
Large-Format Sizes
20 x 30 inches
Edition of 15
Initial release price: $5,500
30 x 45 inches
Edition of 7
Initial release price: $8,500
Each work is produced as an archival pigment print on fine art paper, with a 2-inch white border surrounding the image area. Prints are signed and numbered by the artist in the margin and are intended for professional matting and framing according to the collector’s preference.
The edition sizes have been determined with long-term significance in mind. As each edition progresses, pricing will adjust accordingly. Once fully placed, no additional prints will be produced in that size.
Inquiries
If you have questions about this release, or would like to inquire about availability and current placement within the edition, please contact me directly:
Rick McCloskey
Email: rick@rickmack.com
Phone: (253) 539-0432
Delivery arrangements will be coordinated individually. Framing or mounting may be discussed upon request.