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Roderick Lyons
USA Nominee Photojournalism Professional "Gang Truce 1" National and local media were on hand for a gang truce meeting between the Bloods and Crips in 1991 Rod Lyons’journey to fine art photography has been anything but traditional. A Los Angeles native he began his photography career more than 40 years ago as a photographer in the United States Air Force. Since that time, he has done everything from portraiture to photojournalism to fine art. In 1978, Lyons graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in journalism with an emphasis in photojournalism. Twenty years later he returned to the university to pursue a MFA with an emphasis in fine art photography. After working several years as a freelance photojournalist and serving a brief stint as a newspaper managing editor, Lyons was determined to find a way to earn a living while following his passion of fine art photography. In 1993 he discovered a second calling—teaching photography! “Teaching has been a godsend for me, it put me in a position where I am expected to produce work, and yet I am able to help young people start their photographic journey—the best of two worlds,†exclaimed Lyons. While he has produced a significant body of work over the years, Lyons feels that his fine art career is just beginning, “I have spent a long time just making photographs because that is where I found the most joy. Now, I believe that the work is not complete until I can share it with others.†Lyons is currently serving as Professor of Photography at Los Angeles Valley College in Southern California. Lyons has had work published in several publications including the Los Angeles Times, and Lenswork Magazine. His work has also been accessioned in numerous public and private collections including the California African American Museum of Art and the Smithsonian’s Museum of African American History and Culture. |
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