Michael Cirelli was born a twin. Michael’s
passion for art began as a child. He spent hours drawing
anything that crossed his path ranging from still life,
people, animals and things of his own imagining. The love
of drawing led him to take up painting at Suffield Academy,
a private high school located in Suffield, Connecticut.
Growing up, Cirelli had been exposed to photography in part
to his father’s
love for the art; however he did not take up photography
until he was seventeen years old. Although he found
photography appealing, he continued to concentrate on his
oil paintings.
Following his graduation from
Suffield Academy, Cirelli enrolled at Cleveland Institute
of Art (CIA) located in Cleveland, Ohio, with the intent to
major in painting. As fate took its court, Cirelli decided
to major in photography. While in his third year as a
photography major at CIA, Cirelli was able to advantage of
the schools mobility program, which enabled him to study at
Parsons School of Design in New York City.
Parson’s
philosophy of giving its students space and time to find
themselves as artists meant that Cirelli was given
warehouse space to act as a studio, the mandate to prepare
for a show in six months, and little other guidance. It was
during that time Cirelli found an internship at the
Polaroid 20x24 Studio, home to a famously large camera that
weighs 225 pounds and measures five feet tall. There are
only five such cameras that exist in the world, and the
chance to work with such a large photographic canvas
attracts photographers from across the country. During the
internship, Cirelli had the opportunity to work with
well-known photographers such as William Wegman, Chuck
Close, Lyle Ashton Harris, Joyce Tennison, David Leventhal
and Mary Ellen Mark. The subject matter was quite diverse,
ranging from Pop Art taken by William Wegman to more severe
portraits photographed by Mary Ellen Mark of the Time and
Warner families.
Curiosity
around the world of magazine photography and publishing
eventually led Cirelli to pursue that realm of the
business. In order to explore this interest, Cirelli worked
for Maxim Magazine and Maxim Online as an associate Photo
Editor, but soon realized his passion was in fine arts.
Soon thereafter, Cirelli received tenure, teaching
photography full-time in New Hampshire at Merrimack High
School. Throughout Cirelli's many different professional
experiences, he has continued to exhibit is his artwork
across the country. He has exhibited his work extensively
in New Hampshire, Ohio, and New York City. Cirelli's
photography projects have also made headlines on National
Public Radio and over a half dozen newspapers nationwide.
In addition to this, Cirelli has an ongoing photography
partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), where he has received a research grant to continue
the exploration of his two passions: photography and
teaching.
Teaching is a
job that fosters him as an artist. When away from the
classroom, Cirelli is able to concentrate on his own work
while using the school year for inspiration and energy he
gets from his students. Painting still remains an interest,
as Cirelli looks to paintings for inspiration. In addition
to to teaching, Cirelli freelances for commercial
magazines, book publishers, design firms and has become one
of New Hampshire’s leading event and wedding photographers.
His wedding photography has received raving reviews at the
weddingchannel.com and theknot.com. His work continues to
win awards as well. His photography won Best of Show at the
New Hampshire Institute of Art Biennial exhibition and was
voted one of the top 10 best art exhibits in 2003 for the
state of New Hampshire by HIPPO Press. In 2006 Cirelli was
juried into the members show at the PRC (photographic
resource center in Boston ,MA) which was juried by PDN’s
photo editor Jeanine Fijol. After seeing Cirelli
photographs in the exhibition, Jeanine Fijol asked Cirelli
to submit his work for PDN’S 30. All though he was not
selected as a finalist, Cirelli was honored by the
invitation. In 2007-08 Cirelli started to photograph the
recent primary and presidential elections. Being a resident
of the New Hampshire, Cirelli was able to photograph Barack
and Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary and Chelsea
Clinton, John Edwards and John McCain.
For more info on what Michael Cirelli is up too, click on
the Blog section located on the left.