13/6/2007
Michael Muller
M+B, Los Angeles
The exhibition, resulting from a collaboration between actor Joaquin Phoenix, writer Marcos Johnson and the photographer, interprets Johnson's evocative poems as envisioned by Phoenix and carried out by the artist. On view large-scale color photographs.
Another night upon us
M+B is pleased to present Another Night Upon Us, an exhibition of large-scale color photographs by Michael Muller.
A collaboration between actor Joaquin Phoenix, writer Marcos Johnson and photographer Michael Muller, Another
Night Upon Us is a photographic interpretation of Johnson’s evocative poems as envisioned by Phoenix and carried
out by Muller. Their creative collaboration results in profound works that effectively evoke the haunting and
mysterious world of its creators.
According to Phoenix:
Marcos came up to me one night. We talked. He reminded me of a cat I saw in Mexico once. He was kind.
He'd also been bruised. He sent me some writing one day. It was emotional. I don't know anything about
writing or art in general (read this, and check my collection), but Marcos' words didn't seem like they'd been
written. More like they'd been discharged. He simply wrote what he felt. I admired that. I wanted others to
read it. There might even be a lost one that finds it comforting. Or a nestled one that finds it irritating. Or it's
for a decimated heart. Or a pretentious, rich actor, designer sunglasses and all, that would buy a 20 foot
photo of the Black Panthers...I don't know. I don't really care. I like it.
So...I thought about doing a book
combining photography and writing using Marcos' words as the inspiration for the photographs. The only
person I knew that could internalize Marcos' stories, and then reinterpret them visually, was Michael Muller. I
met him before. He took me to get a picture framed in the Valley. He drives like a drunken gorilla on speed.
I vomited. He seemed unfazed, merely muttering into his cell phone, "We got a live one." He'd be perfect for
Marcos' writing. Initially I'd wanted to "act" the character of Marcos for each poem. I thought the combination
of poems, photography and acting would be interesting. Of course, I was wrong. What happened, in turn,
was that after introducing Michael to Marcos, and discussing and working on the idea, something much
more organic took place.
Over the last year, with Another night upon us in mind, Michael has
captured some startling, and visceral images. The marriage of their mediums has been amazing to watch. I
wish I were capable of doing something that could even come close to their dirty, beautiful, poetically simian
expression. Michael keeps shooting. Marcos continues to write. I still like it...Michael Muller’s work has graced the covers and pages of magazines including Glamour, Elle, Rolling Stone,
Harper's Bazaar, Detour, Spin, Flaunt, The New Yorker, Sky, Marie Claire, Premiere, ESPN, Esquire, Interview and
Time. His signature style has been solicited for major campaigns such as Speedo, Nike, Airwalk, Dodge and
Cingular, as well as for albums for artists including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Velvet Revolver and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Muller is currently documenting Marvel Studios first film Ironman and has just completed work on Spiderman 3,
Fantastic 4, Heroes, Friday Night Lights, as well as many other film and television projects. After more than a decade
and a half of living, traveling, and working in Los Angeles, New York, and Paris, Muller once again calls Los Angeles
his home, along with his wife and daughter.
For further information:
Shannon Richardson
310 550 0050
shannon@mbfala.com
Opening: Thursday, June 14, 7-9pm
M+B
612 North Almont Drive - Los Angeles
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm and by appt.