“I wish I could levitate to get the perfect shot.”

This is photographer Sean Mathis’ deepest desire. Born in Maui, Hawaii and raised in El Paso, Texas, Mathis now captures his life and his perception of the Sun City through his art.

“Photography came to me like a happy accident at age 19,” Mathis says. “I was mostly involved in film. After I took a monthlong road trip trough the Rockies, I developed love for photography.”

Mathis’ wide variety of photographs, which include Downtown images taken from atypical angles and soaring aerial shots, are the product of his quest to capture an emotionally “moving image” of El Paso. “I’ve spent days, mornings and nights taking photographs of downtown El Paso,” he says. “One time, I was literally lying on a park’s floor to get a special Downtown shot. People passing by gave me the weirdest looks.”

Mathis describes his photography style as “eclectic and not definitive,” and he does not force the viewer to interpret his photographs in a specific manner. “This is what I love about art and especially photography. I love the individuality of this work. I am the only one who sees it this way, and everybody will pull something different from it and have their own interpretation.”

Mathis’ photography will be on exhibit at Club Blu (209 S. El Paso St.), with an opening reception on March 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. The show is produced by parker alemán and El Paso Magazine, with sponsorship from the El Paso Community Foundation. All work will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds going to ProjectX, the arts fund started by parker alemán. For more information, please call 915.351.0605.