NYAB Event - Michael Katcher "Ceci n'est pas une personne"

Michael Katcher "Ceci n'est pas une personne"

Tria Gallery

This event has ended.

With a wink to the viewer and to the "subjects" of his photographs, Katcher undeniably captures very identifiable human traits and characteristics in his work. However his subjects are not actually people; they are mannequins. And despite their inanimate nature, Katcher's photographs make the viewer feel that he or she might know the person. Or at least the "type". With an intelligent sense of humor and a beautiful sense of lighting and overall composition, Katcher's lens draws you into these people you feel you know. Or don't know. For ceci n'est pas une personne.

When asked about the inspiration behind his photographs and the "painterly" quality of his work in the Ceci n'est pas une personne series, Katcher explained:

The subject of my work is not a person - it is a Mannequin. I use the window display as a canvas, shooting soft focus to distort the image's perspective. I only have a few minutes to set the shot up, using only natural lighting. As the sun starts to set, and the storefront lights start to illuminate, I crop before I take the picture. Usually one shot and I walk away...

In processing, there is no manipulation at all. I want the colors to bleed into each other. Whether it's a burst of yellow or some shade of gray, the color makes the picture. I want the photograph to feel like an abstract painting. As a child, I was always drawn to painting, even though I couldn't use the brush like my mother or sisters. So I wanted to tell my story through photographs.

Born in Brooklyn, Katcher went to high school in Great Neck, NY. He later went to Emerson College in Boston, where he graduated with a BFA in Theater. It was there that he picked up his first camera.