Michael Barone
In one way or another the arts have always been in my life. Whether playing the drums in a small band or creating oil paintings at the age of twelve. I felt that being creative was my only means of self-expression.
At the age of 14 I was diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis and had a hard time holding a paint brush for long periods of time. I felt that my visual creativity outlet was pretty much dead.
All through high school and into college I focused on the sciences and used music as my creative outlet until the time I took an elective in photography.
I never looked back.
The camera became my vision, focusing and commenting on the world around me. I quickly changed majors and graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in photography.
From my graduation in 1984 to the present I have had a camera in my hand more days than not. I started my career as a photographer for the Playboy Hotel and Casino and then quickly opened my first studio. Commercial photography has always been my way of paying the bills but my art has fed my creative soul.
I have been in numerous exhibitions whether group or solo and found that having an outlet to show my work has kept me creative.
My work has evolved throughout the years but my main muse has always been the human form.
Artist Statement
I have been shooting the nude figure since the first time I picked up a camera for an Introduction to Photography class in college over 30 years ago.
To me, the nude represents the complexity of what it is to be human – from the most flawed to the most beautiful.
Recently, my work has evolved from simple explorations of the human form to attempts to connect with my subject more intimately to reveal the variety of the human condition.
The contours and shadows I capture are not merely boundry lines that define a shape but lines that express the emotions and feelings of my subject. My focus is to show the positive aspects of the human condition.
Nude art should not be shied away from and relegated to the dark corners of the internet, but should be celebrated and embraced as a vital part of who we are as a people.
