I attended The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Tufts University. That was some years ago. I majored in painting and sculpture and had some fascination with ceramics and certainly photography, which at the time, was just coming into its own as an excepted, major, artistic medium. I left art school, at the end of my senior year, believing it had little or nothing to do with creating art. You either create art or you don't. I've studied art, design and aesthetics all my life. Aesthetics is my discipline. I like the cutting edge of everything creative. I've always been a student of the classics but admire those who break new ground; artists like, Andres Serrano, Thomas Struth, Cy Twombly, Edward Burtynsky, Alberto Giacometti, and most notably Francis Bacon.
I like the immediacy of taking pictures. I take my camera everywhere, always on the prowl for a subject or good shot. It's remarkable just how many opportunities we come across almost every day for a great image that can escape even the trained eye.
As some have observed, my images lean toward abstraction and the avant. I always welcome your comments, feedback and dialog. I love my fans. What I seek is a connection with people through my images. The art world is said to be a meritocracy. I think that's a fair contention and true for the most part, if you study it carefully. But it's curious how the process works. It's more than having a sponsor or even talent. I think great art starts like a seed in the fertile ground of the public domain. If an audience embraces it, if it's something people connect with, then it stands a chance to grow and become something greater. Your creations evolve from being mere images to icons of identity.
You can also find me at:
http://www.jpgmag.com/people/mbmanray
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/manuelbranco/
Favorite quotes:
"Fear No Art"
"Protect Me From What I Want" - Jenny Holzer (Truisms)
“Style is the perfection of a point of view.” - Richard Eberhart
"Play is the highest form of research" - Albert Einstein