Interview with Michael Sudheer

Published by Artist CLoseup, on 12 January 2023.

Michael has a Bachelor’s degree in fine art from The University of Michigan School of Architecture & Design, and has also studied at the Maryland Art Institute, Baltimore, and Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Over the past 40 years, Michael has had several one-man shows. His photography appears around the world in many private and corporate collections.

Michael is currently living and working in Atlanta, Georgia.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“After 15 years of working on Madison Avenue in the high-powered world of advertising, I traded in my television commercial producer and director hat to focus on photography.

I honed my photography skills under the tutelage of internationally famous photographer Michael Feinstein, who taught me the invaluable lesson, ‘Good photography is all about seeing, not the equipment.’”

What inspires you most?

“I find that the ordinary can become extraordinary. It’s all about the ‘light’ and color. I find myself pursuing the quality of light that surrounds me, whether in nature or on city streets. I’ve worked as a color consultant and interior designer, and both of these venues have enhanced my love affair with color and light.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“My work is about light, color, and texture in their variety of forms. If there’s any underlying message, it’s the celebration of the joy of ‘seeing’.”

Having been a painter,
I find that the camera
allows me to create
what my hand
is unable to.”

How would you describe your work?

“I call my work impressionist photography. I use my camera as my paintbrush, and literally paint with light. The results often appear to be watercolors, or oils rich with texture.”

Which artists influence you most?

“I enjoy the works of the Impressionists, primarily Monet and Seurat, the American portrait painter John Singer Sargent, and the 19th Century British Landscape painters John Constable and J.M.W. Turner.”

What is your creative process like?

“Looking through a lens is an act of meditation. WhenI lift the camera to my eye, my mind becomes still, and I reside in a quiet space within—a place of deep calm, free from active thought or judgment as I frame the dazzling light unfolding before me. I don’t set out to ‘take’ a photograph, but simply to follow my delight and joy in whatever appears before me.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“This is not something I’ve ever thought about. My role is to be true to my vision and hopefully, others appreciate and receive joy from it.”

Please tell us about any previous exhibition you found noteworthy and wish to share.

“I was the first photographer to be exhibited in the windows of Tiffany’s in Manhattan. Tiffany’s New York is known for presenting artist’s work in their windows.”