Mara Zaslove says of her work, “My body is not supple anymore.  Sometimes, aging can feel like a disability.  One looks at others and feels grateful that her situation isn’t as ‘bad’ as theirs.  The attempt at many to stay ‘looking young’ often results in altering their physique with plastic surgery.  Again, often grateful that I’m ‘not them’.

Recently, I have been fortunate to become friends with a woman, over 20 years my senior.  She is lithe and has a zest for life.  Besides walking everywhere, she practices chi gong, yoga and loves to swim in the ocean.  She has a dark tan contrasted with white hair and her creped skin appears taut and defined.  She is comfortable within her body and herself and embraces each day with an adventurous spirit.

Fear of the unknown often distances one’s desire to learn.  My friendship with this woman has whet my appetite about the aging process and the opportunities that accompany it.  Becoming familiar with someone else’s life story enhances one’s appreciation of the passage of time. 

Viewing her through my lens feels like a ‘self-portrait’, a snapshot or projection of myself 30 years down the road.

In our youth oriented society, someone like her, those older/elderly, are often dismissed and treated as if they were invisible.  As much as the environment is in the political forefront, aging and all that embodies this “closer to the end of life” transition is not a hot topic.   It seems critical that we start valuing the older generation and issues that confront them. There is a need to heighten our awareness and embrace this population as a respected resource.

This image, (taken with film as a double exposure) is part of my series on ‘Aging Gracefully’ and highlights the beauty and delicacy of a woman’s body, no matter what her age.”
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Mara Zaslove is drawn towards a composition that tells a story. Primarily self-taught, she has enjoyed being exposed to a spectrum of art and learning. She has most recently had her photographs represented by bG/BGart Gallery at Bergamot Station and haleArts Gallery in Santa Monica.

For info about Zaslove go to: www.photosbymara.com

"Michael Bach says of his work,"In the basement photographs, I am utilizing an 8x10 view camera with black and white film. With dim light (one 60 watt light bulb and ambient light) the need for lengthy film exposures is dictated. During the exposure (six to ten minutes) the transformation from realistic photographic description to something more phantasmagoric or ether-like takes place. Due to the characteristics of film, light, and the length of the exposure, the body has the ability to become a thing of beauty, rather than the short, bald and overweight man, that I am. In these photographs I use my body as a surrogate to act out narrative and fantasy. The moment the shutter is released I can't predict what the final outcome will look like. This surrendering of control becomes quite freeing and liberating in the end.

This exploration of self is born from a long and continual battle with ill health. Among other things, I suffer from a neurological condition called essential tremor. It causes body tremors and also affects balance. I have been an artist model for the last 17 years. I think of modeling as if one were holding a mirror to themselves. Every nuance of the body is rendered by the artist. Each interpretation is very different from the next. While I am modeling I'm hyper aware of every movement caused by the essential tremor. It has gotten to the point where it is no longer pleasant to model. Instead, it is an experience full of anxiety and fear.

At first, my initial interest in photographing myself was to replicate the poses performed while modeling. I was trying to show the degree or intensity of the tremors. I have found this way of working to be too literal of a representation. The transformative qualities I have discovered while working fascinate me. I've found that I can work within this phantasmagoria with the real possibility of creating something of true beauty and drama."
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Michael Back resides in Troy, New York along with his wife, the painter, Ruth Young. He holds an A.A.S. Degree in Fine Arts. He earned his B.A. in Photography from the Bard College Undergraduate Photography Program. He was awarded a M.F.A. from the Yale School of Art Graduate Photography Program. He has exhibited his work nationally and internationally. His work is held in public and private collections the most notable being The Catskill Center For Photography at Woodstock's Permanent Collection held at the Samuel Dorsky Museum in New Paltz, New York, The Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute, Utica, New York, Yale University Sterling Library, New Haven, Connecticut, and Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.