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Once in a while, someone comes along to change
your perspective on life, and shows you that today is magical,
there is a whole world out there to explore, and anything may
occur. A moment in time when we realize there is truth, beauty
and knowledge in our everyday experience.
Michael Joseph, a self-taught artist, born in Methuen,
Massachusetts, June 12, 1962, captures a non-ordinary view of
the ordinary by nature of the medium of "traditional"
photography. His objective skill and subjective vision are
inherently evident. The artist's interpretations of
architecture, industrial landscapes and isolated objects, with
thrusts and counter-thrusts, render sharp focus and detail
reminiscent of early 1900's pictorialism and constructivism.
The manipulation of angles and planes, use of surface tension,
and dramatic contrasts of black and white - are elements of a
style now attuned to the modern.
The process of photographing an object, not the object's
innate value, makes it worthy of attention. A stairwell
(Vertigo) has lost any sense of function; it becomes a
monumental sculpture. It does not emerge mechanistically form
the camera, but stylistically from the photographer. Seemingly
as spontaneous as a snapshot, the portrait plays with
illusion, alluding to the dual character of the subject.
Michael Joseph tantalizes us to touch the surface of the
print, expecting to feel the cold iron, the rough weathered
wood, the grit of the masonry. His work clearly exemplifies
the discovery, mystery, and wonderment amongst us.
"I believe there is a place that exists within
us all. It is a place of vision and clarity, where life moves
in agreement with a higher consciousness. My art is a gift
from there."
-
Michael
Joseph 1997.
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For more information please contact Charles Carroll at Green
Galactic 323-466-5141 or
charles@greengalactic.com. |
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