Atelier 32 | Michael King - Griffin Museum of Photography

Mike King‘s series Fish Market is on the blog today, celebrating the artists of Atelier 32 now up on the walls of the Griffin. We asked him a few questions about the work.

Which of these images was the impetus for this series? How did it inform how you completed the series?

For Italians, food is the opera of life. It is important to use the best local ingredients. It’s important to think about it, talk about it, dream about it, dwell on minuscule details of the preparation and finally ,sit down with family and friends to partake in the communal meal. In Italy the preparation and enjoyment of good food is the metronome for life.

In these photographs (taken in 2017) of the Catania Fish Market (La Pescheria) in Sicily I portray the opening beat. For me the first photo depicts the opening operatic scene where all the players are preparing to break out in song. From there the photos depict the buyers partaking in an animated ritual of talking, joking, smelling and hand movements all aimed at securing the finest and freshest item at the lowest price.

How did the Atelier help to hone my vision as a photographer?

The Atelier has created opportunities to explore areas outside my normal photographic comfort zone. The assignments covered such diverse subjects such as abstraction, the use of words, still life, telling a story etc. These activities helped me to develop and refine new skills and expand my photographic vision.

In the past my photography activity began with stepping on an airplane taking me to some exotic destination. The Atelier has better prepared me for this post Covid-19 world in which I can now appreciate the photographic opportunities closer to home.

About Mike King –

Michael King is a retired physicist who worked in diverse fields of optical imaging. He has achievements and inventions in 3-dimensional holographic imaging, electron device photolithography and refractive eye surgery (PRK). A lifelong interest in photographic expression has led him to explore astrophotography along with underwater, travel and nature photography. In the early days of digital photography, he taught children attending summer camp to use digital cameras to develop an appreciation for nature.

He has exhibited at the Griffin Museum, two juried shows at Concord Art, and has studied at the Griffin Museum, NESOP and the deCordova Museum all located in Massachusetts. One of King’s bird photos was included in the book “Who’s Who in the Natural World” by Kay Fairweather. He also had an early hologram accepted into the Museum of Holography in Manhattan. In recent years King has used photography to explore the human condition and man’s place in the natural world.

You can see more of Mike King‘s work on his website. Follow him on Instagram @mikeking1940