In the middle of the 100 block on Ave. Del Mar is a fine art photography exhibition by JP Greenwood. A 20-year San Clemente resident, JP had a soft opening of his gallery over a year ago. Because of the pandemic, the doors were only open by appointment. But he is happy to say that through texts and emails, numerous designers, architects, and art enthusiasts have become his clients. 

JP attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and freelanced as a commercial photographer for major magazines and companies for ten years. Far from Los Angeles, back in San Clemente, he wanted to dedicate his photography without people as the subjects. In his minimalist style gallery at 151 Ave. Del Mar, the art is the star. “I’m not trying to follow traditional gallery rules,” said JP. “It’s more of a showroom mainly to showcase everything. Each show displays different categories.” 

The theme of his exhibits varies from sea, land, objects, to gas + oil, and numbers. His unique works range from a breath of swaying palm trees in the sea category, to the Warhol-like gas and oil can photographs, to the objects category, where a vanilla ice cream cone against a white background would do pop artist Wayne Thiebaud proud. 

The rolling walls at JP Greenwood are used to create various exhibit scenarios. They are also used to keep his studio secluded in the back where JP does his printing, framing, and crate-building to ship framed pieces worldwide. He also constructed gallery benches, shadow boxes, and his desk from various types of wood including maple, white oak, sugar pine and figured walnut.

There was a time when JP needed to go to Los Angeles to make a living. Now he sees his vision eventually being realized where people come to San Clemente from Los Angeles for art and culture. About his artistic inspiration, JP says, “All of my work stems from pictures I photographed as a kid. I even snapped graphically-interesting pictures of burnt-out fireworks from the day after the Fourth of July. I would put them in the middle of the street and take a photo.” 

Along with his new art gallery venture in San Clemente, JP also shows his work in other locations. His photography is displayed in a booth this year at the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts, July 5-Sept 3.