The first time I looked at Michael Massaia’s work, it took me several minutes to realize I was looking at photography. Michael uses different tools to alter his photographs, creating a surreal effect that leaves the viewer wondering if they are actually looking at photography at all. Lines become slightly blurred and even the most chaotic visions of taxi cabs sailing down Eighth Avenue feel suspended in time and space.

It is clear from his photography that there is great depth to the work and the artist. As the artist says, “I’m not lonely. I’m alone.” Somehow this statement reveals a great deal about the artist, but at the same time, creates an even greater enigma about the artist’s mind and the work he creates.

Michael Massaia, "Nassau Street -- Dusk", silver dye bleach print, 20" x 30"

MG: What attracted you to photography?
MM: It’s funny because ultimately the thing that drew me to photography was the not being able to sleep at night. I would commonly be up for long periods of time (sometimes 4-5 days) and I found myself walking around the streets late at night simply because I could not sleep. It was suggested to me to carry a camera around with me and to start documenting the world as I experienced it on my late night walks. As time went on I started to become very serious about the potential of creating relevant and meaningful art via photography. I started experimenting with all types of cameras, film and printing techniques. As a result of this I found I truly enjoyed the seemingly endless potential of experimenting with the technical aspect of photography as a tool for creating art.

MG: In your biography you talk a lot about your unique perception of the world. What do you do to capture that in your photographs?
MM: I always try to capture a moment that is rich in hope, purpose, and isolation. I also always try to depict the heightened yet isolating world that a person with certain types of mental illness may experience. I use many different cameras, as well as developing techniques to aid in my visual goal. When I’m photographing people on the street it is very important for me to seek out the moment when calm, purpose, and isolation meet. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy photographing business men and women. They are so rich with purpose. There are moments through-out the day when business men and women experience brief/fleeting moments of isolation: these are some of my favorite moments to photograph.

I always make a strong effort to ensure that my work is void of cynicism and irony. I feel there is such a plethora of honest normal moments that deserve to be romanticized and then re-introduced to the people who may have forgotten the relevance and wonder of the “day to day.”

MG: Is there a moment or experience in your life that you feel was a turning point in your career?
MM: Not really. I feel my work has evolved slowly, and now I’m very comfortable with the artistic voices I have found.

MG: Do/Did you have someone you consider your mentor or role model in your life?
MM: I don’t have an artistic mentor, I am completely self taught. With that being said I have a lot of admiration for many different “hyper realist” painters as well as photographers. There are so many gifted/talented artists in the world the today that it could become a creative distracting for me if I chose to really focus on what other artist are doing.

MG: What are your interests outside of photography? Do you think these things influence your work?
MM: Outside of photography I enjoy writing music, drawing and watching old movies. I think watching a lot of old movies has influenced my work. It does seem that I’m always searching for subject matter that was more prevalent many years ago. I imagine subconsciously I draw a lot from the imagery that exists in old movies.

I also think that music (especially classical music) has played a large role in helping me find a certain amount of rhythm/balance in the photographs and eventually the final prints.

MG: If you lived somewhere else in the world other than NYC, do you believe your work would be extremely different? Why or why not?
MM: I don’t think it would be much different. I’m looking for a feeling to be prevalent in the work more then a location. I hope the feelings/emotions that the photographs express are universal. With that being said the thing I love so much about New York City is the ability to observe so many potent moments while being completely anonymous. I feel that NYC is such an isolating environment, and this is what I love the most about it.

See more of Michael Massaia’s work in the Manhattan Arts Online Gallery.