Michelle, born and
raised in Melbourne, pursued her talent for image making after 2 years of
Illustration by graduating from RMIT University: Bachelor Applied Science –
Photography in 2001 and started her career with the team at
Museum Victoria’s Production
Studio in 2003. Her background in creative and technical backgrounds is evident
in her ability to produce aesthetically powerful images with precision and accuracy.
A majority of her studio work featured in the Museum Vitoria's 150th anniversary hardback publication,
Treasures of the Museum.
In 2004 a solo trip to
South America transformed her approach to photographing people by using wide
& mid-range lenses, creating a close-up, personal, interactive style - where
a mutual exchange took place allowing the integrity of her subjects to shine
through. Michelle refrains from forcing her camera on to people and prefers to
build a report with the subject.
On returning to
Australia in 2005 Michelle continued her life’s work dividing her week between documenting
specialist clinics and surgery for
Skin & Cancer Foundation whilst enjoying
a variety of assignments in
La Trobe University’s Media and Educational
Technology department servicing the academic, teaching, public relations and
corporate divisions.
Approaching 2006 her
affinity with the outdoors and rock-climbing led her to cross paths with
Bambuco, a company that used climbers to build large-scale structures from 9m Chinese
bamboo for art festivals in Europe, Asia & Australia. Working as a rigger and aerial
photographer she collaborated with extraordinary talent and immersed herself in
the arts on an international scale for 3 years.
Her travels have taken
her all over the world producing some of the finest representations of
landscapes with a technique she describes as moving images: journeys from automobiles
in motion. And In 2008 a solo exhibition of the Australian series titled
The
Sickness of Long Thinking was a precursor to a forthcoming international series
from Africa, South America & Europe
Amidst her more
specialised work she has freelanced for clients:
City of Melbourne,
The Age,
Arts
Victoria,
Melbourne Frinj,
Broadsheet Media,
45 Downstairs,
Insite Arts,
Yspace , Les Arts Sauts
(France),
Transvision Arts,
Treehugger,
Transience,
Natimuk Festival,
RMIT University,
Victorian
& International Wineries,
Culture Victoria.
Throughout the past 12
months Michelle’s focus has shifted toward working amongst the community developing
a project:
Footpath Gallery with St Kilda’s Sacred Heart Mission Women’s House
where she teaches participants on a weekly basis to use digital camera’s to
record their own stories in the street. The images are printed and pasted by
the women directly on to a wall in Grey st, St Kilda.
