Genesis 1:3

In this passage I was struck by the ease with which God brought about light. He simply spoke it into existence. Then I thought about our modern scientific understanding of the origins of the universe. When God spoke light into existence it was the giant event that not only brought forth light, but every particle of matter in the Universe. And it is still expanding. Then I consider man’s attempts to provide light for himself. I am intrigued by the moment of God’s speaking and by the power with which that word is given creation. These images explore the beginning and extended moments of man-made light from the first spark of a match, to the phenomenon of a photographic flash, almost literally lightning caught in a glass bottle, and finally God’s enduring creation of light, our sun. We struggle so hard to imitate in an incredibly finite way what God whispered into existence with such power and glory.

Michael Markham is an Actor/Filmmaker based out of New York City. His favorite roles in New York include Platonov in The Spectacular Demise of Platonov at Shapiro Theater; Frizer in christopher marlowe’s chloroform dreams at The Red Room with Lunar Energy; Giant in Giants at HERE; and The Singing Soldier in Mother Courage and Her Children at The New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park. Film and television include Law & Order; When Things Fall Apart; Home Office; Fumes; Lies; Unearthed; Game Theory; and Blind Date. Though his production company KiteMonkey Productions Michael has created over 10 short films in the past 5 years. His currently project The Decades of Mason Carroll is currently in final stage of post production. Look for it on the festival circuit in 2018. Michael graduated from The Juilliard School Drama Division, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Acting from Washington University in St. Louis. He currently lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children.