About James' Photography

James Baran’s photographs often echo the work of Eugène Atget. An image may strike the viewer as a random street scene or shop window, but more subtly, this is where Baran explores the intersection of desire, product, and showcase in an urban landscape where brand-obsessed consumers unconsciously treat fashion as a religion. 

The photographs comprising Baran’s Reflections series exhibit multiple layers to challenge the viewer's perception of the scene. In the blurring of subject and reflection, Baran captures both to visually question the importance of both. The final image resembles double exposure or a painting, transforming the moment into a dynamic visual story. 

Baran's photographs are produced as chromogenic prints or archival pigment prints. His work is in private collections across the United States.

Artistic Expressions of the Coachella Valley

UCR Palm Desert Center, 

Palm Desert, CA

April-May 2019

Group Show: Summer of Resilience

Ted Casablanca Gallery, 

Palm Springs, CA

July 2016

https://www.artsy.net/show/ted-casablanca-gallery-summer-of-resilience  

Solo Show: Urban Landscape and Street Art

Chestnut Mountain Resort Lobby Gallery, Galena, IL

January-March 2015

Solo Show: Recent Work by James Baran

Grace Arts Council, Galena, IL

January-March 2014

While at university studying music and English, James took courses in Photography as Art under the direction of Robert Stefl, and learned to develop film and make prints in the darkroom. At the time Baran used a Nikon 35-mm SLR film camera. In those early years James concentrated on street scenes, double exposure, and portrait photography.

James is an authority on not-for-profit magazine publishing, and he enjoyed a rewarding career in this arena. His work won awards on behalf of his employer from both Folio:Show and Association Media & Publishing (AM&P).  He served on the Board of Association Media & Publishing from 2007 until 2011, spoke at publishing conferences, and headed the technical efforts behind moving his association's publishing effort from time- and cost-inefficient processes into new, streamlined production. His career includes writing, editing, design, art direction, and photography. 

Always evolving in perpetual motion, when James made the decision to leave publishing and return to his beloved photography, he migrated from film- to digital-based photo production. 

The primary areas of Baran’s pursuit include urban landscape and the built environment (particularly how modern-day frescoes, street art, alter the urban scene), photo-impressionism, portrait, and studio-shot object studies. He explores visually interesting compositions in urban landscape, and is fascinated by the layering of reflections in storefront windows as represented in his ongoing Reflections series. James enjoys experimenting with photo-impressionism where blur and motion alter the subject into a dreamscape or, more precisely, a painterly photograph. His portrait work is done on a commission basis.