Margaret Baker

In my work, I strive to bring structure, humanity, joy and pathos to a project. For me, creation is finding a common language with your collaborators, and welcoming a diverse range of feedback, from colleagues, collaborators, and others distanced from the project. It's key to know when to take it on or let it go. Creation should be, in an ideal world, an act of joy for all, and I actively work to cultivate that world.

This piece demonstrates a small selection of the projects with which I've gotten the opportunity to work. From documentary to corporate, commercial and athletics, each project offers a fresh challenge, and a new story to help tell. Enjoy.

My creative practice combines historical research and documentary practices with an interest in exploring sociopolitical movements and the ways in which narratives are shaped by personal and collective choice. Through photography, audio, writing, and video, I investigate objects, testimonies, documents, and symbols to explore connections with our past as it relates to memory, history, the present, and our future. In the space generated between history and nostalgia that holds memory, I consider the ways in which we (individually and collectively) present ourselves, materially and visually. By revealing personal stories and collective history side by side, I try to visualize the complexity of memory, history, and identity. Methodologically, I live by the mantra, “constantly creating.” I long for a world in which we use dialogues to challenge one another's ideas in nonviolent ways. In attempting to understand the works and experiences of individuals different from ourselves, our empathy can grow. My hope is that my work can contribute to this goal by highlighting the importance of acknowledging different perspectives and histories. Although my authorial voice is always present, I aim to be somewhat invisible in the results of my work. My work is not about me, but about creating a space for others to share their own narratives and to challenge conventional understandings of history and identity. I constantly strive to be open to criticism and learn how to communicate effectively without causing hurt. Through interdisciplinary approaches and a commitment to constantly learning and growing, I aim to create work that engages and challenges viewers while simultaneously creating a sense of connection and community.