Patrick Zeller

Born in Chicago, Illinois, 1966. In 1978 my family moved to Springfield, Virginia. My father worked as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill and my mother taught 2nd grade for Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia. Graduated, BFA in Communication Arts and Illustration from East Carolina University in 1990. Worked as a freelance illustrator for the Washington Post, then full-time at the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Charleston Post and Courier as an illustrator/news graphic artist.

Moved to San Antonio in 1994 and joined the San Antonio Express-News working as an illustrator/news graphic artist until 2008. Patrick is a 30-year resident of King William and Lavaca.

I would describe my photographs as journalistic, documentary and educational. My 18 year career as an illustrator and graphic artist had me closely assisting reporters and editors to visually communicate their stories. You could describe my function as ‘visual journalist.’ Photography came towards the end and after my career as a result of my travel adventures on the motorcycle beginning in 2005 (the year of my father’s suicide) which document the story behind my travels across Iran, Turkey, India, Himalayas, Mexico, Guatemala, United States and Canada. Most of these photos have never been shown to the public.

In 2008 I exhibited 62 framed prints from my motorcycle trip to Iran at Blue Star Contemporary Arts project gallery with the help of then directors Chuck Ramirez and Bill FitzGibbons. The show opened with a private tour by me with Judge Nelson Wolff and the Japanese Consul General in Houston. The photos were curated by me to showcase the many similarities American’s share with the people of Iran and were meant to expand our understanding of each other to prevent war. I produced this show at my own expense and made nothing in return. There was also a sister-exhibit of the Iran Show along with a slideshow and talk by me, held the previous year at Ruta Maya Coffee on Martin and Soledad Streets. Although I spoke to a packed house I sold only a single print for $75 to developer Graham Weston who had an office across the street.

In 2013, I exhibited at Andy Benavides’ 1906 Gallery. The photographs documented the logistics of our motorcycle trip to the world’s highest motor-able road at Khardung-La in the high Himalayas of India (18,380 ft). I also presented a lengthy slide show and talk to a packed house at the Station Cafe in King William. I produced this show at great personal expense and made nothing in return.

In 2023, I applied for an City of SA artist grant. That same year I held an exhibit at Slab Cinema Arthouse at Blue Star consisting of 125 framed photos from my 2015 motorcycle trip following along the exact route of Robert Pirsig’s best selling 1974 book, ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.’ I produced this show with $2000, slapped it on my credit card and made nothing in return.

In 2024 I did not apply for a City of SA artists grant after I received a confusing email by the city telling me to disregard the call-for-entry announcement I had just received. That same year I held an exhibit at Blue Star 147 (formerly Cinnabar Gallery) which consisted of photos documenting the many dramatic changes over the previous year that had befallen the historic Carranza Grocery Building on Austin Street in downtown San Antonio. I provided some historical background of the structure that I took the time to carefully research. I plan to make a documentary about the complete history of this building while interviewing members of the Carranza Family as well as current and past owners. The show consisted of 17 large prints presented as a single piece of art, it’s aim was also to shed a light on the shadowy movements of property owners and the systematic ‘burning’ of the four neighboring houses. The show cost me $700 to produce and I made nothing in return. Also in July 2024 I participated in a group show at Slab Cinema Arthouse at Blue Star under the theme RoboCop. The piece I created cost $300 to produce.

All of the above exhibits were held as part of FOTOSEPTIEMBE. My goal is to have a gallery show every year in FOTOSEPTIEMBRE.

With motorcycle adventure travel becoming a thing of the past, my camera continues to focus on story-telling close to home around downtown San Antonio. But I still do some traveling around America often with my dog and pulling a small trailer. I carefully document everything in detail editing thousands of photos into my archive each year in order to tell more stories and hopefully produce more shows.