Presentation

From a familly of Irish origins, Michael Kenna is an artist born in Widnes,United Kingdom in 1953. After attending the St Joseph College, he joined the Banbury School of Art, and then studied photography at the London College of Printing.

His artistic eye sharpened examining the photographs of Bill Brandt, Atget, Emerson, Sudek and other big names of American photography as divergent as Berhard, Callahan, Sheeler and Stieglitz.

His career started with works by command, in parallel to his personal practice. In 1977, he travelled to the United States before deciding to move to San Francisco where he met Ruth Bernhard, an illustrious photographer. For ten years, he assumed the role of assistant in the realization of his photo shootings. Kenna then continued his route to Portugal and then Seattle where he currently lives.

He works on his projects by big chapters over a long period of time (up to eight years), which requires returning to the places, captured many times. As an example, his photographs of all the Nazi camps are the product of more than ten years of experimentation and were donated to France.

"I love working in three or four projects at the same time, and even when they are supposed to be over, I can go on and on", declares Michael Kenna. Very young, I was very skill in art, specially in painting, and I wanted to be a painter. However, after some time at the Banbury School of Art, I realized that I had little chance of surviving in England as a painter. So I decided to learn photography, thinking I could at least earn a living working in advertising", continued the photographer.
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All artworks of Michael Kenna
Print, Michael Kenna, Des oiseaux - Édition limitée, Michael Kenna

Michael Kenna, Des oiseaux - Édition limitée

Michael Kenna

Print - 25.5 x 20 cm

€700

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Who is the artist?

From a familly of Irish origins, Michael Kenna is an artist born in Widnes,United Kingdom in 1953. After attending the St Joseph College, he joined the Banbury School of Art, and then studied photography at the London College of Printing.His artistic eye sharpened examining the photographs of Bill Brandt, Atget, Emerson, Sudek and other big names of American photography as divergent as Berhard, Callahan, Sheeler and Stieglitz.His career started with works by command, in parallel to his personal practice. In 1977, he travelled to the United States before deciding to move to San Francisco where he met Ruth Bernhard, an illustrious photographer. For ten years, he assumed the role of assistant in the realization of his photo shootings. Kenna then continued his route to Portugal and then Seattle where he currently lives.He works on his projects by big chapters over a long period of time (up to eight years), which requires returning to the places, captured many times. As an example, his photographs of all the Nazi camps are the product of more than ten years of experimentation and were donated to France."I love working in three or four projects at the same time, and even when they are supposed to be over, I can go on and on", declares Michael Kenna. Very young, I was very skill in art, specially in painting, and I wanted to be a painter. However, after some time at the Banbury School of Art, I realized that I had little chance of surviving in England as a painter. So I decided to learn photography, thinking I could at least earn a living working in advertising", continued the photographer.

What are their 3 main works?

When was Michael Kenna born?

The year of birth of the artist is: 1953