INSPIRED For Marika Robak, the beauty of Catskills landscapes offers an opportunity to create art of a personal nature. Adriana Serafino photos
The image as an expression of individuality
Marika Robak uses her camera as a ‘passport’
By Adriana Serafino | Manor Ink
Catskills landscapes are full of natural splendor that inspires both community members and tourists. Photographer Marika Robak is no exception. She shares her perspective on those landscapes with pictures that capture their beauty.
A native of the hamlet of Harris, Robak first got into learning about the arts when she took YMCA classes as a child. She was inspired by YMCA teacher Valerie Rattigan, and attended classes at Rattigan’s art studio where Rattigan became Robak’s mentor. In middle school, Marika enjoyed drawing with graphite, charcoal and colored pencils. But when she was in the eighth grade, her dad got her a camera, and that started her lifelong passion for photography.
MENTORING Marika Robak works with a student photographer at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
In the beginning, she primarily shot landscapes. But she soon found that taking people’s portraits could be a wonderful social tool, a way to overcome her shyness.
“Having a camera in certain settings made it easier to be in those social gatherings,” she said.
Robak lived in Colorado at a time when its wilderness was being lost to suburban construction, just as has happened in the Catskills. As a consequence, Robak’s favorite photographer is Robert Adams, an artist who focused on capturing man-altered landscapes.
Robak attended Fordham University, a liberal arts college, getting a degree in Visual Arts and Communication and Media Studies. Later, she went back to school for her Master of Fine Arts at Pratt Institute.
“Having a camera in hand is almost like a passport that gains you entry and insight into places or situations you might not normally visit. It can also help you revisit familiar surroundings, but with new eyes,” said Robak.
Marika Robak is now working at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts as a teaching artist and digital lab manager for the ten-week teen program called “Project Identity, Open Studio.” She also works at PhotoUno, a photography school in Manhattan, where she teaches both remotely via Zoom and does in-person workshops.
“No one is exactly like you, no one sees the world exactly like you do – so use your photography as an outlet to communicate your unique perspective,” said Robak, offering advice for beginning photographers. “Art is stronger and means the most if it reflects your individual experiences.”
