'Our Stories Are Ancient' Photography Series Now On Display At MSJC

The following is a news release from Mt. San Jacinto College :

SAN JACINTO, CA — The Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) Art Gallery is pleased to present Rony Armas' "Our Stories are Ancient" now through Sept. 22 on the San Jacinto Campus, 1499 N. State St., San Jacinto.

In this ongoing photography series, Armas explores how the symbols of our ancestors’ indigenous roots add to the richness of our individual contemporary stories. This exhibition is a way for us to connect with our past while celebrating our presence in the present.

“I have always been entranced by the human face and the stories embedded in every laugh line, forehead wrinkle, or scar. The chasm of experience in a person’s eyes holds the ecstasy and angst, the vibrance and exhaustion, and the past, present, and future,” Armas said.

In this photo series, Armas asks his sitters to present a symbol from their family’s indigenous heritage; that symbol is then etched onto a piece of glass and the sitter is posed behind the glass. Through this layering of meaning and imagery and portraiture, the artist brings the layers of our humanity into focus. The model contributes their life experience as captured by their eyes, skin, lips, and hair. Their faces are time capsules of all that came before along with their own unique addition for their progeny to add to and learn from.

A Los Angeles native, Armas is a self-taught photographer who has pursued art, design, and videography as related fields. Armas began with an interest in documenting the world around him and soon discovered, through the influence of many wonderful people, that his interest could be furthered as an artistic and commercial medium. The need to tell a story or evoke a feeling has been the driving force behind his work and is demonstrated in the diversity of his work from editorial to music to fine art photography. He is inspired by collaborations and admires other artists and their art forms. As a practicing professional, Armas has worked as an independent contractor in photography for 20 years, in graphic design for 17 years, in art direction for 10 years, and in video for 10 years. He is the graphic arts technician at MSJC.

A closing reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 22, including a tour with the artist at 6 p.m.

The exhibit is in the art gallery, which is in Building 1400 on the San Jacinto Campus, 1499 N. State St. The gallery is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, please visit www.msjc.edu/artgallery or contact Art Professor John Knuth at [email protected].

About Mt. San Jacinto College

Mt. San Jacinto College serves nearly 24,000 students annually in a district covering 1,700 square miles from the San Gorgonio Pass to Temecula, with campuses in San Jacinto, Menifee, Banning and Temecula.

The Fall 2022 semester began Aug. 15. Late-start, short-term classes will be offered in October.

MSJC awarded 3,157 degrees and certificates to a record-breaking 2,185 graduates in May 2022.