Umbilicus is a creative response to motherhood and the transformative nature of the female body.  The spherical form that appears in my work references the womb, the first dark hollow we inhabit. The uterus can resist or allow potential candidates for occupancy. Once occupied, the long wait ensues, and then - the inevitable surrender. The cord will be cut, but the tether remains. There is a sense of biology in my work, where organic forms meet graphic elements.  These elements allude to the pull from the outside world - the man-made world, where straight lines come from.  Some images in the exhibition began as lumen prints, born in the sun. I enjoy the playfulness of objects on a wide array of papers and the reference to historic photographic methods. I shoot film and experiment quite a bit with alternative processes.  I like when outcomes cannot be predicted, and control is relinquished to the light.

Mircea Ouatu-Lascar finds great joy being outdoors to photograph nature, architecture and  occasionally people.  Although he likes to travel, Mircea enjoys very much photographing close to home, in our local parks and around town.

Looking through the viewfinder with the lens wide open the fences disappear, the subject comes close, and for a brief fraction of time the crowds also seem to disappear leaving the impression of an intimate ‘one-on-one’ moment. Bringing the viewer into the world of animals through his lens and his heart, Mircea advocates for wildlife conservation, care and education.  Perhaps a photograph can start a conversation, which leads to awareness that grows into compassion, which in turn motivates positive action.