masha-artist statement

There is an everyday struggle of making the poetries of life transcend into art. At first, photography was the best way to capture the moment which I had found so intriguing. However I quickly realized that any kind of photograph is very nostalgic to me because it is all that is left from something that is now dead (the moment). Because of this, I feel the need to bring it(the photograph) to life; this is when I add dimension to the photograph- light, sound, layers, movement, making it anything but the original still-frame image. This remaking of the moment is a sort-of act of worship. It becomes a shrine, or a memorial for not just that moment captured but also for the actual act of capturing of the moment, which is another moment in itself. It is that perfect second when the world becomes so vulnerable that it lends itself to me. It is the moment when everything is the most vivid and raw. So as the photographer I am stealing this most truthful, precious moment, but only to bring it back in a different way. This act of “rebirth” ties into the act of illumination, which is why the photos are often backlit and emerging out of some kind of darkness. The illumination is actually a process with many parts- both literal and not. Initially the illumination begins with recognition- a moment that has been lived a thousand times before. This particular moment is so familiar, yet, so mystical because it lends itself to the notion that maybe we can have an idea of the future because we can fill in the moments that we already know will happen- seasons changing, death, dirty dishes, spending money, tears and laughter. Our lives are made up of these kind of moments that seem so habitual, but on the contrary are amazingly rich, hence the term being “caught up in the moment.” The art is always about recognition versus discovery. I believe it Is better to work with what you know- these moments that I become engaged in are much less an act of god, but more seemingly insignificant parts of everyday life. This is not to say that it is that easy- To see these moments is about living within them- living moments instead of living in minutes, hours, days, months, years.

Masha- Bio

Masha Badinter, imigrating from Russia in 1990, was surrounded by art throughtout her life before making her own. Her home in America was filled with old Russian painting of nostalgic landscapes and figures purchased from the very streets of her own birthcity, St. Petersburg. When she was eight, her father helped Boris Eaptekin, a painter, with the construction of his home in return for drawing and painting lessons for his daughter. Masha had always been more interested in expression and creativity than anything else during her high school years. in 2004 she was introduced to Neighborhood Studios, which was affiliated with the Music and Arts Centerf or Humanity in Bridgeport, Connecticut from a presentation they did during one of her high school art classes. From then on every summer she worked with a group of young artists such as herself, learning different crafts such as glass sculpture, sand casting, painting, drawing, etc. Sometime during those years she discovered photography though a photojournalism she was placed in. It was then that she realized how strongly she felt about the process of capturing life as images. Since then, she has been finding new ways to express her connection to the images that she captures. Recently, she has been working successfully within the limitless boundaries of installation and video.

Megan-Portfolio

Here's my portfolio

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photos_from_meg/sets/72157604989144989/show/

Caitlin - Bio

Yeah I didn't really know what to do here.

Caitlin Welge is a photographer and video artist that has been living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since 2004. She currently attends Moore College of Art and Design working towards her BFA. Caitlin’s work reflects her take on society and feelings about her own generation. Caitlin has been doing darkroom photography since grade school and continued photographing at a constant rate. She got into digital photography in high school and became interested in video art in college. Caitlin is continuing to make her work in these mediums and hopes to combine other mediums such as lithography, which she has experience with, and other types of printmaking.