AN OASIS OF SERENITY

Artist Statement

STELLA M. CORDOVA

The twenty-one California Mission Churches, simple and massive structures of adobe and stone, draw more travelers to their serene quiet environment than any other historical attraction in California Built between l769 to l823, most of the Missions were miniature cities teeming with activity.

As a tour guide at the San Fernando Mission for many years, I shared the history of our local San Fernando Mission with many people from all walks of life and from many parts of the world.

Some time ago, wishing to share this history with more people, I made the decision to do a study of not only our mission, but of the other missions as well. I hoped to create and express my feelings on the Missions through my art work. As a result, I've painted an extended series on the San Fernando Mission and of Mission San Juan Capistrano. I've had the honor of exhibiting my work at both Missions. The Missions are not only a part of California's history, but each mission is unique and is a piece of art in and of itself. I see my artwork as a documentation of a rich part of California History; a history that will be preserved for posterity.

STEVEN MARK CORDOVA

While studying history in college, I came to more fully appreciate how important the lives of people from the past are to those in modern society. Most people live their lives and leave nothing tangible for future generations.

The padres, during the California Mission period, tried to build something that would last far longer than their lives. These priests, under Fathers Serra and de Lasuen, contributed a belief system to the Indians with more than just practical or pragmatic knowledge to help in their lives. They also gave them a spiritual belief system which would give them faith and hope.

Converting the Indians through a Christian example of humility and courage, though they had and still have critics, these padres were often a softening element in a time when prejudice and hate were common. Violence and cruelty, like tolerance and understanding, could be a part of people's dealings in the early 19^th Century.

It is possible that those priests who actually witnessed the abandonment and subsequent dismantling of the California missions felt themselves a failure. Little could they have realized how, over l00 years later, the grounds would be resurrected and rebuilt. The San Fernando Mission fell into a state of disrepair that was more pronounced than at any of the other missions.

The beauty and splendor of the currently existing facilities at the San Fernando is a marvel. As a tour guide at the San Fernando Mission for a few years, I had occasion to read and study about the history of the missions. As a photographer, I've observed the purely aesthetic value of the mission and it's surrounding grounds.

Since a young age, I've had a fascination with images of people now gone. As a photographer, I have personally experienced the feeling of taking a picture of someone who is now dead. An eerie sensation, it forces one to confront mortality. To a certain extent, I believe my interest in creating images emanates from the perspective that a negative is the closest thing to capturing a moment in time.

The San Fernando Mission in its restored state offers a sort of window into the past in which one might, for a moment, indulge a spirit of imagination. It is my hope that my photographs can provide a 20th century perspective on a l9th century phenomena, and document them in images.

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