Michael Cirelli was born a twin, Michael passion for art began as a child when he spent hours drawing anything that crossed his path still life, people, animals and things of his own imagining. That love of drawing led him to painting at Suffield Academy(High School), a private school in CT. Though Cirelli had been exposed to plenty of photography and cameras growing up (in part to his father), he didn't take up photography himself until his was seventeen years old. Though he found photography appealing, Cirelli continued to concentrate on his oil paintings.
Following his graduation from Suffield, Cirelli enrolled at Cleveland Institute of Art in Ohio, and intended to major in painting. As fate would have it, Cirelli decide to major in photography. In his third year at Cleveland as a photo major, Cirelli took advantage
of the schools mobility program, which allowed him to study at Parsons School of Design in New York City. Parsons 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 that Cirelli found a job 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
in the world and the chance to work with such a large photographic canvas attracts photographers from across the country. Cirelli stayed on with the studio for a little over a year and took assignments traveling with the camera on location. He worked with big
name photographers as William Wegman, Chuck Close, Lyle Ashton Harris, Joyce Tennison, David Leventhal and Mary Ellen Mark. The subject matter ranged from dogs and pop art a la Williams Wegman to more severe portraits such as those taken by Mary Ellen
Mark of the Time and Warner families on the eve of the merger of Time Warner.
Curiosity about the world of magazine photography and publishing eventually led Cirelli to that business. He worked for Maxim magazine and Maxim Online, learning how magazines are put together but quickly decided he would rather focus his time in the fine
arts. At about that same time, Cirelli started tenure, teaching photography full time in New Hampshire at Merrimack High School. Throughout Cirelli's many different professional experiences, Cirelli has continued exhibit is his artwork Nation wide. He has exhibited
his work extensively in New Hampshire, Ohio and NYC. Cirelli's photography projects have also made headlines on National Public Radio and a half dozen other newspapers nationwide. Cirelli is continuing a photography partnership with MIT, where he has won
valuable research money to continue his exploration of photography and teaching.
When he's not in the classroom, Cirelli tends to be working on his own photographs. Teaching is a job that fosters him as an artist. He uses summers to concentrate on his own work while using the school year for inspiration and the energyhe gets from his students. Painting still remains a prime inspiration as well Cirelli looks at paintings for inspiration. In addition to teaching at the high school, Cirelli freelances for commercial magazines, book publishers, design firms and has become one of New Hampshire’s leading event and wedding photographer. His wedding photography has received raving reviews at the weddingchannel.com and theknot.com. His work continues to win awards, too. Recently 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.
For more info on what Michael Cirelli is up too, click on the Blog section located on the left.