PHOTOGRAMS OF SHAI ZAKAI

Marko Pogačnik

 

It is easy to say that everything we see around us is composed of different light vibrations. It needs a body-close experience to realize what this assumption means. It is easy to say that different states of consciousness represent the base of all phenomena existing in our environment. The question is, how it would be possible to experience the meaning of such a fundamental statement.

The Presencehood Series of photographs by Shai Zakai offer a number of opportunities to experience the manifested world as composed of light vibrations as well as to feel the pulsation of consciousness behind all the different kinds of natural phenomena that her camera is tuning to.

To achieve these goals, Shai has developed photography as a form of creative ritual. After connecting inwardly to the essence of the given place, she starts to move with the camera in an intuitive rhythm. Places representing a specific form of elemental consciousness seem to answer immediately by leading camera’s movements and functions in a proper way to produce a photographic piece of art that often resembles rather an abstract painting then a photographic print.

To make the distinction from the known forms of photography clear, I would rather call Shai’s work - “photograms”.

They represent distinct letters (Greek: “gramma”) of a language that cosmic and earthly forces are constantly manifesting within and around us in the form of the ever changing rhythms and movements of life.

Seen from this angle, the photograms of Shai Zakai inspire and direct us towards something that is of crucial importance in our epoch, governed by the rational mind. They are capable to inspire us towards being present in each given moment and connected to the given place.

This is just the opposite of what the rational mind does, pulling us human beings out of reality of the living and breathing moment, cradling us back and forth in the illusionary worlds of the past and the future. It is not by chance that Shai calls her photograms “Presencehood Series”. They indeed convey the power and beauty of life when lived, perceived and loved in the given moment.

 

Marko Pogacnik

Trained as academic sculptor, Marko Pogačnik lives in Šempas, Slovenia. During the years 1965-71 he worked in Conceptual Art and Land Art as member of OHO group. From 1971 he works in the field of art combined with holistic ecology (geomancy). He has developed a method of Earth healing called “lithopuncture” (Earth acupuncture) complemented with the language of cosmograms. He created lithopuncture works in Brazil, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, South Africa, USA, Canada, and in different countries of Europe. His books in English include: Touching the Breath of Gaia, Turned Upside Down, Nature Spirits & Elemental Beings, Gaia’s Quantum Leap and Sacred Geography.