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.