M. BARAKAH

Bio : I was born and spent my youth in lower Manhattan, NYC. Photography is my passion. Perception my obsession. Consciousness my devotion.

Context : I was brought up viewing the Old Masters at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art; I loved the interplay of light and form. I discovered the NY Abstract Expressionists in my teens at MOMA, NYC;
I loved the purity of form and color. I rediscovered the Old Dutch Masters at Rembrandt’s 400th birthday celebration, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; I wept. I've been making photographs since I was about 10 years old. What we frame out is as important as what we frame in, in art as in life, as above, so below.

This Work :  PARA is a Sanskrit word with many subtle meanings, but its essence, has been interpreted to mean, transcendental, the Supreme, spiritual, the ultimate truth, o Supreme, of the transcendental Lord, and the conclusion at the end. The experience of transcendence - in its most elemental form, the suspension of the experience of time and space - is experienced naturally by all humans, even if at first we don't recognize it. Whether experienced while in nature, watching clouds, "lost" in work or artistic endeavors, hitting peak performance during athletic activities, with a lover or while meditating, the experience is distinct, scientifically verifiable and repeatable.

Experience : See with your heart.

Perspective : “All of life is the process of unfolding the self to realize the Self. All of art is the possibility of seeing beyond our self-imposed limits of perception to experience reality. The role of the artist is to unfold reality in ways that resonate the truths of life. We must continuously disrupt ourselves until we gain liberation from our shackles of perception.”

Recent Shows

BORDERS (short film) : Rishikesh International Film Festival, May 2021
WATERS (short film) : Rishikesh International Film Festival, March 2020
AGNI (short film) : Rishikesh International Film Festival, March 2019
PARA (short film) : Rishikesh Art & Film Festival, Rishikesh, India, March 2017

PARA : Henderson Gallery, Fairfield, Iowa, September 2016
Chefchaouen, Morocco : Henderson Gallery, Fairfield, Iowa, August 2016
Seeing : ICON Gallery, Fairfield, Iowa, June-August 2016
Divine Mother : Shaktifest, Joshua Tree, CA, 2015
Divine Mother : Crest Jewel Gallery, Fairfield, Iowa, 2014
Divine Mother : The Ark, Ashland, OR 2013
Divine Mother : Oasis Gallery, Ashland, OR 2012
Self-Portraits : Photography At The Summit, Jackson Hole, WY
Mud & Silver : Ceramics and Photography, MUM
The Young Eye : The Brooklyn Museum

Work

Digital Business Architecture : MarcStrauch.co & MBStrauch.com
Commercial / Fine Art Photography & Video : MarcBaraka.com
Representation : VELOCITAS Management
Reproductions : Paper, aluminum, acrylic; pricing based on size and media.
Crypto-currency : BTC, ETH.
Paper Prints : ArtFiftyTwo.com