California-based photographer, filmmaker and author Patrick Trefz recently published his latest book Ode to the journey. Published by Powerhouse Books, presents a collection of photos and recipes from 38 locations around the world, offering readers insight into Trefz’s perspective on life and exploration.
Trefz structures each chapter around a single place. He gives a brief account of his time spent there as a traveler, weaving personal memories with discussions of history and mythology, politics and economics, and descriptions of the physical environment. He seeks to illustrate how regional food systems are influenced and offers insights into how cuisine reflects local culture.
Trefz says he has had a deep appreciation for food and agriculture since he was a child. “I developed a love for it at a young age and somehow it sparked my curiosity to want to know more about the world,” he tells Food Tank. “I love to cook. I’ve been cooking my whole life. And when I was young, I also worked as a sous chef in restaurants.” Trefz explains that food has always been an integral part of his photography, but he has had fewer opportunities to exhibit it during his long career as a professional surf photographer.
Through his previous directing project Man on the fieldA documentary about American artist Jim Denevan allowed Trefz to explore the impact of local food systems. The film captures Denevan’s outdoor dining experiences, which place diners in the physical environment where their food comes from.
The inspiration for the new book came from Trefz’s experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, he was living in Santa Cruz County, where he spent most of his time gardening. “It was a COVID project. I was pretty devastated and didn’t really know what to do with myself. I planted a garden. I didn’t really want to go to stores,” he says, “but other than that, I didn’t do much creative.”
In 2021, Trefz revisited photographs spanning several decades, capturing different international communities and their cultural lifestyles. After an unexpected series of fires in the region, Trefz realized he wanted to save these images and publish them in a book.
“On January 1, 2021, I started collecting a bunch of slides and negatives and organizing them by country,” Trez tells Food Tank. “I went to work and created recipes for those particular countries, or I already had some that I knew from cooking and just created the whole thing.”
Some recipes, such as Gallo Pinto for his chapter on Costa Rica, are included because it is a national dish. Others, such as Jalapeño Pasta for Australia, symbolize significant travel memories.
Trefz sees food as a means of connection. “Food has always been a strong connection to my travels for me. I come back from a certain country and want to share what I learned there.”
The theme of community runs like a thread through Trefz’s art. In addition to recipes, his photographs and anecdotes shed light on the different ways in which communities interact with each other and their environment. He offers unadulterated images of people, landscapes and surfing.
With the cover design, an abstract representation of a blue globe and eye, Trefz wants to remind audiences of the importance of being curious about the world and open to the lessons it has to offer. “It’s an inspiration for global cultures and our differences and for embracing this beautiful world we live in.”
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Photo courtesy of Patrick Trefz
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