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about me
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New
York city visual artist
michael sibler
has a laid-back yet intensely
eye-oriented approach to his work. Mainly focusing on everyday visual
impressions, his photography is filled with interesting contrasts that the
casual eye would be prone to miss but which michael keenly stages. His
juxtapositions are most often humorous,
but often also eerily disturbing, yet almost always deeply rewarding due to their sheer visual beauty. A fine eye for composition and color, michael, who has both studied art in the United States as well as Europe, can, however, not seem to resist supplying meaning, often in the form of subtle symbolism, into his work. One of his photographs, a spring-time branch of cherry blossoms, for example, shown against a bright blue spring sky seems to puff out light delicate clouds. The image has unexpected depth: it both conveys the immediate gut-level humorous vision and, upon further contemplation, transcends it into what feels like pure poetry reminiscent of the Romantics; very delicate, brimming with the essence of "spring." A sort of journey of impressions. "At heart, I'm a true romantic." he readily admits. However, a more macabre side can be glimpsed, for example, in his "cat skull" series, a random visual exploration conquering for the viewer the stunning visual forms of an object most would not think of exploring. "I found this cat skull at Woodlawn cemetery, it was still stuck to the empty fur but was already clean bone. I picked it up with a plastic bag, cleaned it at home. I still have it on my bookshelf. I am fascinated by that kind of stuff!" Here his eye is cool and rational. Yet always there is more: in one frame, the smoothly polished skull rests on the New York Times, the headline (not too obvious) reads: "the economic outlook." -- corny? Perhaps, but not eyeball-rolling so. At the very least, entertaining. But thankfully this is perhaps michael's greatest strength. While an exploration of his work certainly holds many rewards, he never takes himself too seriously.
michael
sibler was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Europe and
continues to travel there extensively. He returned to the United States
to study at the Pennsylvania State University, where he received his B.A.
in English and Art History. He briefly returned to Europe for an
internship with noted German fashion designer Seeler. In New York City
since 1985, he studied at the Art Student's League. After many years
living in Manhattan and doing computer work, he is now focusing only on
things that fascinate him and bring him pleasure. Never much into
competition or spotlight-seeking, michael nevertheless has had minor
exhibitions both in NYC as well as abroad featuring his paintings, but, as
he says in his own words: "not really interested. If I don't have an
agent to do the hustling for me, I'm just not interested!" Starting
with his own website, he has designed a few websites since. "I like
the format, it's fun! A lot like publishing a nice glossy book . . . with
sound and movement. I want to work with this 'medium' further.
R. Sayvyah |
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There
is something very satisfying about it." Asked to describe himself, he
retorts: "I think I'm truly zen. I totally live in the moment. Sort
of a handicap in our society because it leaves you without ambitions, but
hey, I don't know how else to be. I'm a sucker for beautiful things, as a
result a lot of my work has a tendency to slip into the idyllic bordering
on postcard prettiness. But luckily enough I have a plethora of
opinions (laughs) and they rear their heads in a lot of my work."
Asked if he would like to be rich and famous he screws up his mouth into a
funny face connoting black-girl attitude: "Hellz yeah I'll take the
money, but they can keep the famous. I'd rather be around someone famous
instead, it's more entertaining . . . I just like to have creative fun!"