About the artists
Shootin’ in the Dark
Frank Diaz and Deb Young joined their musical passion as Shootin’ in the Dark in 2022. Their duo name refers to the notion that we are all just shootin’ in the dark through life.
Diaz works on the acoustic arrangement of songs and Young works on the vocal/harmony arrangements. Together they began to curate and perform a unique list of songs that fell into their special brand of alt-country inspired music (a blend of country, folk, rock and blues music).
Their distinctive style of singing, playing and performing has both surprised and delighted audiences who often ask them, “What genre is this music!?”
Shootin’ in the Dark has performed at venues such as: Win-Win, Portland Public House, The Clare Inn, The Kingslander, The Vic, Browns Bay Brewery, Maraetai Beach, Alfreds Huia, Takapuna Bar, Good George, Grand Central, Port Chev RSA, Partners in Crime, to name a few.
Along with their public performances, they also perform at private gigs.
International Collaboration Project
The idea that two artist photographers — one male, the other female — could work together while being separated by a vast ocean, was revolutionary — but such was the nature of this groundbreaking exploration, the International Collaboration Project by Frank Diaz + Deb Young.
In pushing boundaries, Diaz + Young’s radical approach to collaborative montage was unique in photographic history. Described as "disturbingly beautiful”, they seldom used models, props or set-ups, but created from totally random images.
Their collaboration was based on gender equality to both redress the imbalance of woman in the art world and to infuse their narrative work with a masculine/feminine sensibility. Many of their series are plot related not just theme related, with an underlying lo-fi sensibility.
They are the face of 21st century digital photography where art photographers collaborate from different corners of the globe, blending creative energies as an example of true cooperation amongst global strangers in these difficult times.
The two artists have been part of multiple exhibitions, competitions and projects. Accolades include being named "International Photographers of the Year" at the 6th Edition Pollux Awards, the Fine Art and Documentary Photography Biennial held in Malaga, Spain, first place, Fine Art Division, Neutral Density Photography Awards, awarded the 9th Julia Margaret Cameron Award at the 4th Biennial of Fine Art + Documentary Photography in Berlin, first place, People: Non-Professional Category, Moscow International Foto Awards, Moscow, Russia, Top 50 Critical Mass, Photolucida, Portland, OR and more.
Exhibitions include Z Gallery Arts in Vancouver, BC, Gilman Contemporary in Ketchum, Idaho, the Center for Fine Art Photography in Ft. Collins, Colorado, the Kolga Awards in Tbilisi, Georgia, The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa, FL and the Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA. They have been featured in prestigious photography and arts magazines around the world such as Positive Magazine, Hi-Fructose, Musee Magazine, Feature Shoot, PH Magazine, F-Stop Magazine, the Eye of Photography, Creative Boom, Lenswork, amongst many more.
