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| A B O U T T H E
A R T I S T Peter Michelena is a Los Angeles native and graduate of Art Center College of Design. While at Art Center studying Illustration, Michelena developed an interest in photography that would become the foundation for his future work. Initially, he focused on shooting fashion, greatly influenced by one of his in- structors, fashion photgraphy icon, Paul Jasmin. Jasmin exposed him to classic image makers like Avedon, Horst and Lartigue. Michelena found he had great admiration for not just the great fashion photgraphers, but also early photog- raphers such as Steichen, Steiglitz and the pictorialists of the 1800's. He was fascinated by the tools and techniques that allowed a skilled photographer to control and manipulate the image, and began to explore ways to combine the craft of photography with his painter's sensibilities. He tried bleaching and toning the image and experimented with alternative processes, like liquid photo-emulsions applied to salvaged surface materials. His work received many accolades and was subsequently published by Art Center, recognized for its inventive techniques and skillfull execution. After graduating from Art Center in 1991, Michelena began his career as a photo- illustrator, creating distinctive album cover art and movie posters. Over the next ten years, he worked with many of the major record labels and movie advertising agencies, producing stunning art work for album packages, such as virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai's Sex and Religion and movies like Apollo 13 and The Rock. With each new project, Michelena continued to push the boundaries, ever evolving, as he continued to develop and refine his unique style. In 2000, Michelena shifted his focus to fine art and opened Melrose Lightspace in West Hollywood, a unique, 1600 sq.ft. multi-use studio, created to support the local artistic community as well as provide resources to charitable causes and those who support them. In the nearly ten years since opening, Melrose Lightspace has hosted numerous performances and art exhibitions, and continues to feature some of the most original and talented emerging artists in the L.A. area. Michelena's personal work debuted auspiciously in 2003 at the Soho Gallery in Studio City, CA. The series consisted of large scale mixed media pieces, created using antique cameras. The subject matter ranged from life size nudes to iconic scenes of Maine and New York City. Michelena quickly developed a following of celebrity patrons as well as serious collectors. After several successful years with Soho, Michelena decided to take some time off, focusing his energy on the studio and teaching, through Scholastic Advantage Enrichment, an organization providing supplemental art and science education for children in area elementary schools. In early 2009 Michelena returned to making art. Continuing with his philosophy of experimentation, his most recent work employs melted bees wax mixed with pigment, also called encaustic painting, applied to dreamlike images. The work explores the idea of visual memory as a catalyst for emotional experience. The images are strangely familiar scenes of day to day life viewed through the mind's eye. With this series Michelena often chooses to start with a color image, which he then slowly glazes with layer after transparent layer of subtle color. The resulting works are powerful and hypnotic, gently drawing the viewer in, inviting them to explore their own subconcious thoughts and feelings. Michelena's work may be viewed by appointment and is available in a variety of sizes and formats. Please inquire for details. Non-Profits Michelena amd Melrose Lightspace support: The Relational Center- http://www.relationalcenter.org/ Friends of El Faro- http://www.friendsofelfaro.com/ War Ate My Heart- http://www.waratemyheart.org/ S T A T E M E N T My work is a product of constant experimentation. I'm drawn to the unpredictability of alternative processes such as liquid photo emulsions, which be can applied to almost any surface, leaving brush strokes or other evidence of the human hand. By building texture, both visually and physically through addition and subtraction, I seek to achieve a visceral quality that transcends the original image. |