PIX 002 Michael Northrup

PIX 002 : MICHAEL NORTHRUP

Michael E. Northrup was born in 1948 and raised in Marietta Ohio, a rural town on the Ohio river in southeastern Ohio. Despite the town's beautiful environment, Northrup found it challenging to pursue his interests due to the lousy economy and very little opportunity. As a student, Northrup struggled and nearly flunked out of Ohio university, where he started the undergrad photo program in 1968. During that time, the Vietnam war was raging, and Northrup did everything in his power to stay out of the draft, even convincing his art 101 teacher to raise his grade so he could remain in the photo/art program. However, near the end of his first year, he was asked to drop out of photography due to overcrowding and unsatisfactory work.

During the last quarter of his first year, Northrup decided to focus on making images that he enjoyed, not worrying about whether they were "good or bad. " this approach led to all a's from then on, and Northrup has worked this way ever since. Eventually, he received his mfa from the school of the art institute of Chicago/Saic in 1980 and taught for about ten years before going commercial in 1990. Northrup is now semi-retired and living in baltimore, maryland, enjoying life.

The PIX book series is a numbered collection that has been curated by photographer Pete Voelker and published under the Spotz imprint. The portfolio follows a unique approach, in which Voelker selects an image from a photographer to serve as a prompt for other photographers to submit their work in response. This process spans over a two-month period, during which Voelker receives entries from photography enthusiasts worldwide. Subsequently, the photographs are edited into sequences that integrate the work of young or amateur photographers with those of photographers who have established careers spanning decades.