Michael Dweck
Encyclopedia
Michael Dweck is a visual artist known for his suggestive photographic
style. The concept of the beautiful, and the aesthetics of beauty
are important themes in much of his work, which he explores through figurative
and abstract
means. In 2003, he was the first living photographer to have a solo show at Sotheby's
in New York. He currently lives and works in New York City
and Montauk, NY.
in New York and the 2004 first published book of his photographs titled The End: Montauk, N.Y., published by Harry N. Abrams
. The 5,000-print run was sold out in less than three weeks. The brisk sell-out of the book was attributed to its local interest, the beauty of the photography, and the allure of the nude models.
The "signature image" of the book is Sonya, Poles, described as a portrait of "ecstatic summer" featuring a young woman in "full naked glory... breasts aloft" running across the beach, surfboard tucked under her opposing arm. One print of this photo sold for over $17,000, and then another sold for $30,000.
Many of the photos from The End were exhibited at numerous galleries and solo exhibitions in New York, Belgium
, San Francisco, Monaco
, and the Blitz Gallery in Tokyo
, and the Gallery Orchard in Nagoya. Dweck's work was also presented at art fairs in Paris
and Bologna
.
Dweck himself worried about the allure of his photographs calling more unwanted attention to the quiet culture of Montauk.
In July 2011, it was reported that Kanye West
's video director scouted Montauk as a possible site for a music video. She was seen toting Dweck's book, looking for the same locations featured in the work.
s entitled Three, which were exhibited in Tokyo
. Ninety images set on 15 foldout pages, only one hundred copies of Three were printed, each signed and numbered.
s to be very much at home underwater. Dweck captured many of the photos at the Weeki Wachee Springs
, where trained underwater "mermaids" perform. One gelatin silver print from the collection sold at auction in 2009 at Christie’s in London
for over $17,000. The Mermaids art was then featured by Playboy
under the title "Sirens' Dance", with an introduction by Christopher Sweet that described Dweck's mermaids as "lovely, aloof and bare". Photo art from Mermaids was exhibited at galleries in New York, Los Angeles
, London
, Belgium, Hamburg
, and Tokyo.
and of Che Guevara
, and it focuses largely on the "creative culture" of Cuba. The book was featured in The New York Times
, which documents Dweck's eight return visits to the island.
A review in Miami New Times
notes that "it's hard to tell if[Dweck is] glamorizing the privilege or slyly exposing the hypocrisy of the myth of communist equality". Highlighting the book, a feature pictorial story, "Elit Küba", appeared in the Turkish magazine Tempo
. An opinion column in El País noted how the sons of revolutionaries had undeniably broken a tacit pact with their elders, not to give aid to an American documentary of their lives; but perhaps they could not stand the constraint of the political party any longer.
published a series of Dweck's work titled Sex Bombs which features photographs of nuclear and other military missile
s. Dweck also produced another project that features oversized Polaroid
instant camera
pictures, called Giant Polaroids: Pin Up. The Polaroids were taken with a rare Polaroid 20x24
large format camera.
to David and Sydelle Dweck. He was raised in Bellmore
, New York, a town on Long Island
about 27 miles east of Manhattan and close to beaches.
in Brooklyn, first as an architecture student, then switching to communication and fine arts in 1976. After graduating in 1979, he went on to study with artist James Wines
and with semiotician Marshall Blonsky at The New School for Social Research
.
Dweck & Campbell with Lori Campbell. In a 1998 interview with CNN Money, Dweck was quoted as saying "Advertising is the quintessential sitcom. The love affairs with clients, the breakups, the coming back together again and, of course, the constant reruns." A highlight for the firm in 1998 was its Dial-a-Mattress television commercial featuring an angry, man-sized squirrel who wants to hibernate for the winter. The ad, noted for its comic abrasiveness, was pulled from the airwaves after only 13 days. But it went on to win a coveted Gold Lion award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival, and it was selected for inclusion in both the Gale Group publication of the 100 most influential marketing campaigns of the year and the Boards magazine Top 10 Boards awards of 1999.
After the agency won the American Association of Advertising Agencies
1999 award for small agencies, Campbell departed the firm, and it was renamed Dweck, Inc. The firm continued with its "usual creative mischief", doubling its previous year's billings to $50 million.
In 2001, Dweck closed his company and left advertising to concentrate on photography. He was quoted in The New York Times as saying he wanted to "concentrate on what I love, which is creative development."
Fine art photography
Fine art photography refers to photographs that are created in accordance with the creative vision of the photographer as artist. Fine art photography stands in contrast to photojournalism, which provides a visual account for news events, and commercial photography, the primary focus of which is to...
style. The concept of the beautiful, and the aesthetics of beauty
Beauty
Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and culture...
are important themes in much of his work, which he explores through figurative
Figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork—particularly paintings and sculptures—which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.-Definition:...
and abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
means. In 2003, he was the first living photographer to have a solo show at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
in New York. He currently lives and works in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Montauk, NY.
As visual artist
While his education was initially based in architecture and then communication/fine arts, and his first career was in advertising, Michael Dweck began his work in earnest in visual arts, the career for which he is most widely known, around 2002.The End: Montauk, N.Y.
After closing his advertising agency, in 2002 Dweck began to photograph subjects and scenes around Montauk, focusing on its surfing subculture. The photos evoked "the paradise of summer, youth, and erotic possibility, and of community and camaraderie in a perfect setting." The work is a blend of nostalgia, documentary, and fantasy. Dweck would parlay this collection of art photos into the 2003 solo show at Sotheby'sSotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
in New York and the 2004 first published book of his photographs titled The End: Montauk, N.Y., published by Harry N. Abrams
ABRAMS Books
Abrams, formerly Harry N. Abrams, Inc. , is an American publisher of high-quality art and illustrated books, and the enterprise is presently a subsidiary of the French publisher La Martinière Groupe...
. The 5,000-print run was sold out in less than three weeks. The brisk sell-out of the book was attributed to its local interest, the beauty of the photography, and the allure of the nude models.
The "signature image" of the book is Sonya, Poles, described as a portrait of "ecstatic summer" featuring a young woman in "full naked glory... breasts aloft" running across the beach, surfboard tucked under her opposing arm. One print of this photo sold for over $17,000, and then another sold for $30,000.
Many of the photos from The End were exhibited at numerous galleries and solo exhibitions in New York, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, San Francisco, Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, and the Blitz Gallery in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and the Gallery Orchard in Nagoya. Dweck's work was also presented at art fairs in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
.
Dweck himself worried about the allure of his photographs calling more unwanted attention to the quiet culture of Montauk.
That’s the way it always goes, isn’t it? Everyone who makes it to the fallout shelter tries to bolt the door behind him. It’s like some graffiti I read in the stall at the Shagwong Tavern. "Welcome to Montauk. Take a picture and get the f--- out."
Here are my pictures. Please, please stay away just a little longer.
In July 2011, it was reported that Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's video director scouted Montauk as a possible site for a music video. She was seen toting Dweck's book, looking for the same locations featured in the work.
Three
In 2005, Dweck released a series of triptychTriptych
A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...
s entitled Three, which were exhibited in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Ninety images set on 15 foldout pages, only one hundred copies of Three were printed, each signed and numbered.
Mermaids
At about that time, the artist's attention turned to extensive waterborne photography that would culminate in his second published book, Mermaids, released in 2008 by Ditch Plains Press. The work, stemming from Dweck's fondness for water and the beauty he saw around it, celebrates the form of women who appear like mermaidMermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
s to be very much at home underwater. Dweck captured many of the photos at the Weeki Wachee Springs
Weeki Wachee Springs
Weeki Wachee Springs is a natural tourist attraction located in Weeki Wachee, Florida, where underwater performances by "mermaids", women dressed with fins about their legs as well as other fancy outfits, can be viewed in an aquarium-like setting in the spring of the Weeki Wachee River...
, where trained underwater "mermaids" perform. One gelatin silver print from the collection sold at auction in 2009 at Christie’s in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for over $17,000. The Mermaids art was then featured by Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
under the title "Sirens' Dance", with an introduction by Christopher Sweet that described Dweck's mermaids as "lovely, aloof and bare". Photo art from Mermaids was exhibited at galleries in New York, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Belgium, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and Tokyo.
Habana Libre
Dweck has authored a 2011 pictorial book, Habana Libre, about the privileged class in modern Cuba. The book includes rare interviews with the sons of Fidel CastroFidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
and of Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
, and it focuses largely on the "creative culture" of Cuba. The book was featured in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, which documents Dweck's eight return visits to the island.
A review in Miami New Times
Miami New Times
The Miami New Times is a free weekly newspaper published in Miami and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered near Miami's Design District.-Overview:...
notes that "it's hard to tell if
Tempo (Turkey magazine)
Tempo is a weekly news and entertainment magazine, published in Turkey. The magazine features politics, life, health, society, and entertainment. The magazine is owned and published by Dogan Media Group....
. An opinion column in El País noted how the sons of revolutionaries had undeniably broken a tacit pact with their elders, not to give aid to an American documentary of their lives; but perhaps they could not stand the constraint of the political party any longer.
Other works
SnoecksSnoecks
Snoecks is a Belgian magazine. The huge, 550-plus-page magazine appears once a year in October and focuses on the most interesting new international developments in the arts, photography and literature...
published a series of Dweck's work titled Sex Bombs which features photographs of nuclear and other military missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s. Dweck also produced another project that features oversized Polaroid
Polaroid Corporation
Polaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February...
instant camera
Instant camera
The instant camera is a type of camera that generates a developed film image. The most popular types to use self-developing film were formerly made by Polaroid Corporation....
pictures, called Giant Polaroids: Pin Up. The Polaroids were taken with a rare Polaroid 20x24
Polaroid 20x24 camera
The Polaroid 20×24 camera is a very large instant camera made by Polaroid, with film plates that measure 20 inches by 24 inches. It is one of the largest format cameras currently in common usage, and can be hired from Polaroid agents in various countries...
large format camera.
Early life
Dweck was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
to David and Sydelle Dweck. He was raised in Bellmore
The Bellmores, New York
Bellmore is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population according to the 2010 census was 16,218...
, New York, a town on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
about 27 miles east of Manhattan and close to beaches.
Education
Dweck graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York in 1975. He attended Pratt InstitutePratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn, first as an architecture student, then switching to communication and fine arts in 1976. After graduating in 1979, he went on to study with artist James Wines
James Wines
James Wines is an American artist/architect associated with environmental design.Wines is also an architectural and design innovator, a product designer, and an educator...
and with semiotician Marshall Blonsky at The New School for Social Research
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
.
Advertising career
In 1993, Dweck founded the advertising agencyAdvertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
Dweck & Campbell with Lori Campbell. In a 1998 interview with CNN Money, Dweck was quoted as saying "Advertising is the quintessential sitcom. The love affairs with clients, the breakups, the coming back together again and, of course, the constant reruns." A highlight for the firm in 1998 was its Dial-a-Mattress television commercial featuring an angry, man-sized squirrel who wants to hibernate for the winter. The ad, noted for its comic abrasiveness, was pulled from the airwaves after only 13 days. But it went on to win a coveted Gold Lion award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival, and it was selected for inclusion in both the Gale Group publication of the 100 most influential marketing campaigns of the year and the Boards magazine Top 10 Boards awards of 1999.
After the agency won the American Association of Advertising Agencies
American Association of Advertising Agencies
The 4A's is an American advertising agency trade association.Founded in 1917, their website states that 4A's membership "produces approximately 80 percent of the total advertising volume placed by agencies nationwide." The association issues annual awards for the best agencies, in different...
1999 award for small agencies, Campbell departed the firm, and it was renamed Dweck, Inc. The firm continued with its "usual creative mischief", doubling its previous year's billings to $50 million.
In 2001, Dweck closed his company and left advertising to concentrate on photography. He was quoted in The New York Times as saying he wanted to "concentrate on what I love, which is creative development."
Published works
- The End: Montauk, N.Y., 2004, ISBN 0810950081
- The Girls of Montauk, 2007, PlayboyPlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
- (also with model Reby SkyReby SkyRebecca Victoria Reyes , professionally known as Reby Sky , is an American glamour model, radio and television personality, photographer, dancer and professional wrestler.-Early life:...
) - Mermaids, 2008, ISBN 9780981846507
- Habana Libre, 2011, ISBN 9788862081849
Noteworthy photographs
- Sonya, Poles - Montauk, NY, 2002. Sold at auction in 2009 at Christie’s in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for over $17,000. In March 2010, Dweck filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against a New York based clothing company, accusing them of using his Sonya, Poles photograph in their advertisements without permission. Another print then sold in 2011 for $30,000. - Lilla - Napeague Beach, Montauk, NY, 2002. Sold at auction for £2,200.
- Dave and Pam in their Caddy - Montauk, NY, 2002. Sold at auction in 2009 at Christie’s in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for over $12,000. - Mermaid 1 - Amagansett, NY, 2005. Sold at auction in 2009 at Christie’s in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for over $17,000. - Mermaid 18
- Surf’s Up - Montauk, NY, 2006. Sold at auction in 2009 at Christie’s in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for over $32,000.
Exhibitions
- December 30, 2010-February 15, 2011: Michael Dweck: Giant Pin-Up Polaroids, Maruani & Noirhomme Gallery. Knokke, Belgium.
- December 9, 2011-January 28, 2012: Michael Dweck: The End and Habana Libre, Staley Wise Gallery. New York, NY.
- December 2, 2011-February 25, 2012: Habana Libre, Blitz Gallery. Tokyo, Japan.
- November 17-December 8, 2011: Michael Dweck: Island Life, Izzy Gallery. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- September 8-October 29, 2011: Habana Libre, MODERNISM. San Francisco, CA.
- September 16-October 25, 2010: American Mermaid, Acte 2 Galerie. Paris, France, in collaboration with Maruani & Noirhomme Gallery.
- June 24-August 28, 2010: Michael Dweck: Paradise Lost, MODERNISM. San Francisco, CA.
- January 24-March 14, 2009: Mermaids, Gallery Orchard. Nagoya, Japan.
- October 15-December 15, 2008: Mermaids, Blitz Gallery. Tokyo, Japan.
- September 19–November 10, 2008: Mermaids, Robert Morat Galerie. Hamburg, Germany.
- September 13-October 4, 2008: Michael Dweck: Mermaids, The End, and Flowers, Keszler Gallery. Southampton, NY.
- June 19-September 1, 2008: Mermaids, Staley Wise Gallery. New York, NY.
- May 15-September 1, 2008: Mermaids, Delphine Pastor Galery, Monte Carlo, Monaco in collaboration with Maruani & Noirhomme Gallery.
- March 1-April 20, 2008: Michael Dweck, Maruani & Noirhomme Gallery. Knokke, Belgium.
- November 17-December 28, 2006: 'A Surfer's Life, Nagoya, Tokyo, Japan.
- May 30-July 15, 2006: A Surfer's Life, Blitz House. Meguro-ku and Shimomeguro. Tokyo, Japan.
- April 1-29, 2006: A Surfer's Life, Gallery Orchard, Oosu, Naka-Ku, Japan.
- September 30-November 15, 2005: Three, Aoyama. Tokyo, Japan.
- September 2003: The End: Montauk, NY, Sotheby's. New York, NY.
Awards
- 1998 - Gold Lion - Cannes International Festival for Arctic Ground Squirrel
- 2000 - Advertising Excellence - AICP - Work entered into the permanent collection of the Department of Film, Museum of Modern ArtMuseum of Modern ArtThe Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
, New York.
External links
- MichaelDweck.com, official website
- Ditch Plains press, publisher of Mermaids
- Habana Libre book, site for Habana Libre