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Michal Russ, gebürtiger Berliner und Wahlamerikaner, gehört
zweifelsohne zu den profiliertesten und ambitioniertesten Fotografen der
neuen Generation. Bekannt geworden vor allem durch seine Zusammenarbeit
mit dem amerikanischen Folkexzentriker Tom Waits, ist es ihm gelungen,
eine neue und völlig eigenständige fotografische Welt zu entwickeln,
die aus seinem großen Schatz an künstlerischer Erfahrung gespeist
wird. Dabei bedient er sich verschiedener künstlerisch hoch
anspruchsvoller Sujets, ohne sich aber in ästhetischer Verspieltheit zu
verlieren. Seine Arbeiten sind von experimenteller Frische und musischer
Eleganz, handwerklicher Meisterschaft und vor allem von einer künstlerischen
Qualität, die in ihrer lustvoll - erotischen Ausdrucksstärke
ihresgleichen sucht...
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Michael
was born in Berlin Germany in January 1945. He was first exposed to
photography at the age of ten through his older sister, who attended
Lette Haus,
a Berlin arts academy. In 1958 at the age of 13 he came to America to
join his
mother. He studied ballet and drama while attending highschool in Denver
Colorado and performed locally. Inspired
by Antonioni's now classic film 'BLOW UP', about a London photographer,
he began taking pictures of his fellow actors. His first break
was an eight page assignment for MENS WEAR magazine in 1969.
In 1971 he shot twentyone pages for GQ's design showcase. In May of 1973
Michael's style was featured on the cover of ART DIRECTION Mag.
He liked shooting female erotica and contributed to three PLAYBOY PRESS
books.
His career lept foreward after moving to Paris in 1976, when he shot 'erotic
sequential room stories' for VOGUE HOMMES. His handtinted images, which
he calls 'TINTONES' where published in German PLAYBOY and leading
european trade
and avant guarde fashion magazines. In 1980, his postcards edition 'THE
COMPAGNIE' were included in the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, a Louvre
annex.
As artistic consultant, Michael developed an erotic feature, 'Mme.
Claude II', for the French film industry. He moved to Los Angeles in
1981 and had an exhibition at the CHINA CLUB in '83, called 'PRUSSIAN
BLUE'. Tom Waits saw Michael's show and commissioned an album cover, 'SWORFISHTROMBONES'.
Michael also co-directed 'In the Neighborhood', Tom's MTV video.
In 1986 he moved to Hamburg and then to Munich and focused on raising
Floyd. During this time he developed his fine art 'TINTONE'(TM)
photography. These images were published in various portfolios, magazine
galleries and on the covers of reputable european color photo magazines.
In 1994 he produced an experimental promotional TV spot
entitled 'OCEANS' for VOX TV in Europe. He moved back to L.A. in 1996
where he directed Samantha Fox's comeback video: 'THE REASON IS YOU'.
Michael recently settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he is focusing
on producing his filmscript: 'DARK ROOM'.
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www.tintones.com
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