mariab-c

[mariab-c]

Artist Statement:

As an artist, I always strive to experiment with different art forms. So, I wanted to explore the art of photography. I wondered how I could create narratives with a single image or a series of them. After learning the basics, I started viewing the world from a different perspective, with a new lens per se. I imagined shots in my daily life by placing reality as a still composition. Sometimes, when I did not have my digital camera with me I would try taking them on my phone. Something else that inspired this idea was learning about the photographer, Manuel Alvarez Bravo. His quote, “Shoot what you see, not what you think," spoke to me not only in photography but also in my drawing life. Through a camera’s lens I can find beauty in the ordinary. Or transform the ordinary into something unexpected. For example in my Dreams Project, I mucked up one of my unsatisfactory pinhole images. By doodling on the shapes I saw, I created something new. 

Photography has shown me to be brave and expressive. I unexpectedly enjoyed taking self-portraits. In the past, it was hard for me to look in the mirror, let alone take a self-portrait and let the world see me. I am glad photography has pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. My knowledge of photography has grown with unexpected forms of photography. I had never heard of cyanotypes, photograms, and pinholes beforehand. However, I am grateful to have experimented with them because I enjoyed them all. Photography is one of the mediums I look forward to improving my skills. I am excited to keep working with the camera. After this class, I will keep photographing and teaching others around me the world of photography.

Maria Baez-Cupul