Joaquín Palting

(Re)Formation Exhibition Announcement

2/12/2026

I am pleased to announce my forthcoming solo exhibition, (Re)Formation, at Founders Gallery on the campus of Soka University in Aliso Viejo, CA. The exhibition opens with a public reception on Thursday, February 12, 2026, from 4:00–6:00 pm. All are welcome to attend.

(Re)Formation features twelve large-scale color photographs, a single-channel video, and a site-specific sculptural installation.

New Role with the Society for Photographic Education (SPE)

12/31/2025

I am honored to have been elected Vice Chair of the West Chapter of the Society for Photographic Education. I look forward to collaborating with the board to continue strengthening our community while advancing the mission of the nation’s preeminent learned society dedicated to photography.

Throughout my career, participation in regional and national SPE conferences has been essential to staying engaged with the evolving research interests and pedagogical practices of my colleagues. I look forward to continuing that exchange and hope to connect with many of you at an upcoming event.

The Reward, Musings On Fall Semester 2024

12/13/2024

Reflecting on the past few months, I find myself increasingly concerned about the state of the world—and even more so about the challenges facing young people as they inherit the consequences of decisions made long before them. As a self-described news junkie, I have spent much of my adult life closely following political and social developments as they unfold. What feels increasingly clear is that, within the context of my fifty-five years, we are living through a period of unprecedented instability and acceleration.

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled many of us to retreat inward in ways from which we may not yet have fully emerged. I see traces of this daily in the classroom: students who struggle to engage with one another, with ideas beyond their immediate experience, or with the broader world around them. Perhaps most disheartening is a noticeable lack of curiosity or investment in issues that do not appear to affect them directly.

In response, I make it a point to emphasize that while my courses necessarily teach the mechanics of image-making, my deeper hope is that students leave having learned something about themselves and their relationship to the world they inhabit. Photography, for me, is not only a technical practice but a means of cultivating attention, empathy, and responsibility.

Each semester, I sense that some students quietly absorb this message, even if they never articulate it. When they do reach out—when they reflect back an understanding of that larger purpose—it becomes the most meaningful affirmation of my work. Those moments are the true reward of teaching. What follows is a brief excerpt from an email written by a student reflecting on her Fall 2024 semester,

“I just wanted to give a bigger thank you and tell you how much this class has meant to me. The first day of this semester I walked home crying because I felt so lost in my major, I had no direction with where I wanted to go in college or my career, and I felt hopeless. That day I dropped all of my classes and joined yours. When I sat in your class, the first day, I really resonated with your outlook and teaching, and I knew it was where I was meant to be. As the semester went on, I developed a true passion and love for photography. I really tried to put my heart and soul into everything I did for this class because I felt like I had found a new purpose.

Today I had a full circle moment as I walked home teary-eyed sad that it was over. I am now going to be taking two photography classes next semester, and with my change to interdisciplinary studies one of my focuses is now going to be art with an emphasis in photography.

Outside of music and other long term goals I have for myself, I really feel like photography is what I am meant to do. If it wasn't for you and your class, I would have never known this. You have absolutely changed me and my direction in life and I couldn't be more grateful. You are hands down the best professor I have ever had and this is by far the best class I have taken in my college career. I just wanted to let you know this, and thank you for the new direction I will be going in life due to this class. You have no idea how fulfilling it has been for me to find a new passion.”

These words offer a renewed sense of hope and reinforce my commitment to remain engaged—with my students, with others, and with the world at large.

Alongside this teaching work, I began a new ongoing photographic project this semester titled Aztlán. Through this body of work, I examine the resilience of individuals and communities of Mexican and Indigenous descent as they navigate and adapt to the shifting cultural and physical landscapes of the present day Western United States. The project reflects on these transformations as the ongoing consequences of the social, political, and historical constructs that have shaped— and continue to shape—the experiment known as America.

Subject/Object Solo Exhibition

2/19/2024

I am pleased to announce a solo exhibition of my project Subject / Object at Irene Carlson Gallery in La Verne. The exhibition will be on view from February 19 through March 9, 2024.


The full exhibition announcement can be found below.

About the Exhibition

The Irene Carlson Gallery of Photography presents Subject / Object, an exhibition by Joaquín Palting that investigates the relationship between perception and reality through a series of landscape photographs. The work brings together abstract, frequently disorienting color images of cave interiors in California with expansive exterior views of the Pacific Ocean.

Through these juxtapositions, the exhibition invites sustained contemplation of the subject–object divide, encouraging viewers to reflect on the tension between subjective experience and objective reality. Within Palting’s visual framework, these modes of perception exist along a spectrum—at times converging in moments of clarity, and at others remaining fractured, incongruent, or unresolved.

Refugio Project in Two Group Shows This Fall

8/22/2022

I am pleased to share that work from my project Refugio will be included in two group exhibitions this fall. The first, (a) relation of body to water, will be presented at the NSC Gallery in Seattle, WA. The second is a faculty exhibition at the Irene Carlson Gallery of Photography on the campus of the University of La Verne.

Long Hot Fun Summer…

8/19/22

As fall approaches in Southern California, the summer term concludes with a series of workshops taught in collaboration with the Los Angeles Center of Photography. These programs provided an opportunity to engage learners across age groups while emphasizing both technical proficiency and creative development in photographic practice.

The first workshop was part of the Center’s teen program and served a cohort of high school students from South Los Angeles. Working with DSLR cameras, students explored their school campus as a site for portraiture, focusing on light, composition, and visual storytelling. The program emphasized foundational photographic skills alongside critical observation and creative experimentation.

The second workshop engaged adult learners seeking to strengthen their technical understanding of camera operation while developing a more intentional creative approach. Participants demonstrated a high level of commitment and enthusiasm throughout the course. One student, Rebecca A., reflected on the experience as follows:

“Joaquin is a rare teacher who not only offers technical guidance and challenge, but also leaves space and provides inspiration for artists to be artists. I now feel confident that I have the tools I need to master the fundamentals of shooting manually on a DSLR camera and to carry my creative vision forward.”

Student feedback such as this underscores the value of structured, inclusive instruction that balances technical rigor with creative inquiry. Supporting learners in developing both competence and confidence in their artistic practice remains central to my work as an educator.

I Interviewed Stacy Kranitz For Float Magazine

02/16/2021

I feel very honored to have interviewed 2020 Guggenheim recipient, and fellow UC Irvine Alum, Stacy Kranitz for Float magazine. You can read the interview here.

Workshop Announcement

12/17/2020

I will have number of workshops and other classes that I am teaching coming up in early 2021. The first one that I am excited to announce is titled, Sea to Source - the San Diego River workshop, and is being offered through the wonderful organization Medium Photo. You can read more details, and register for the workshop, at Medium Photo’s website here.

PS I will be announcing a couple of special guest speakers soon as well so be on the look out for that information

Thesis Exhibition

12/10/2020

2020 has been a strange year. For those of us who graduated from art school that meant that our graduation exhibitions were more than likely cancelled or postponed. In my case it was the later, and I am happy to report that the dedicated faculty at UC Irvine were able to facilitate the solo shows of me and my MFA cohort. Although no one was technically allowed to see them it was none the less hugely gratifying.

I Interviewed Bryan Schutmaat For Float Magazine

11/30/2020

I was very honored to have interviewed Bryan Schutmaat, one of this years Guggenheim recipients for Float Magazine. You can read the interview on Float’s website here.

The Quest For A PhD Begins

7/1/2020

Out of the fire and into the frying pan :-) One thing that I learned in the three years of my MFA program at UC Irvine is that I have a great interest in cultural and critical theory. So…I thought to myself what better way to continue that learning than by applying to a PhD program which specializes in those subjects as well as continental philosophy. I am happy to say that I was accepted and, if all goes smoothly, will be completing my doctorate in June 2023.

MFA Completion!!!

6/13/2020

Well its official! My years as an anteater have come to a close. I graduated from the intense 3 year MFA program at UC Irvine. I even have the student loan debt to prove it!! I really appreciate all of the wonderful faculty and fellow students that I have had the opportunity to engage with here.