Since 1986, that strong, self-conscious juxtaposition of light, shade, and subject results in a stunning visual effect present in all of Salazar’s work. He is of Chicano and Mescalero Apache descent. Salazar’s mother was born in El Paso, Texas, and his father is from Carrizozo, New Mexico. His parents met in Los Angeles, California, in the 1960s. Salazar was raised in San Bernardino County—the sprawling “Inland Empire”—a sweltering land of orange grooves, strip malls, and suburban neighborhoods.