Exquisite Fantastic: Marlayna Demond

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Contributor 7: Marlayna Demond, February 1, 2020

Illusions

Marlayna’s Inspiration: Each time I read Anthony’s piece, I found another layer of it that felt simultaneously personal and specific, yet relatable. I’ve been in love with the textures of salt stains, and how they can almost create the illusion of a barren landscape, so that line initially jumped out at me. I’m also at a point where there are all these paths (or branches) I could see life taking. With my own inability to make (what feel like) major life choices, and looking not just at Anthony’s piece but also Gina’s and all the works in between, I kept mulling over “this or that” and “safe vs experience.” I set out wanting to convey this sense of uncertainty – not knowing what I want next or if I have to make any changes at all. Just to add one more layer of uncertainty, when I went into Baltimore to take some photos for this piece, one of the first buildings on our walk happened to literally scream “ILLUSIONS” at me.

See the work that inspired Marlayna here.

Marlayna Demond is a photographer who is constantly trying to find better work-life balance and make more time for non-work photography and other fun things. Marlayna works full time photographing at UMBC, and in addition also photographs weddings, events, and editorial and portrait work. She also co-runs BaM Co-Create, a business that promotes local makers and produces markets where guests can explore their creativity and shop locally.