Michael Christopher Brown

Last updated

Michael Christopher Brown
Born
United States
NationalityAmerican
Occupationphotographer
Years active2005–present
Website www.michaelchristopherbrown.com

Michael Christopher Brown (born December 18, 1978) is an American photographer known for his documentation of the 2011 Libyan Civil War [1] and the resulting monograph, Libyan Sugar (2016). [2]

Contents

Career

Brown was raised in the Skagit Valley, a farming community in Washington. [3] After moving to New York City in 2005, he joined the Italian photo agency Grazia Neri in 2006. [4] He then moved to Beijing, China, in 2009 and over the next two years put together a series of works from road and train trips across the country.

In 2010 Brown began taking pictures with an iPhone, driving around eastern China in his Jinbei van. Since then he produced iPhone photographs in Libya, Egypt, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Cuba and Palestine. Brown's ability to capture critical moments with an iPhone has led to his involvement with Time , The New York Times Magazine, and National Geographic's Instagram platforms. [5] Through these platforms he is able to reach millions of followers to inform and educate on social and political issues in remote and under-reported areas of the world. [5]

In 2011, Brown spent seven months in Libya photographing the Libyan Revolution, [6] exploring ethical distance and the iconography of warfare. [7] He covered several battles along the coast, was ambushed several times in Eastern Libya and injured twice. [8] In early March, on the frontline near the eastern town of Bin Jawad, he was shot in the leg by an AK-47 during a Government offensive. Six weeks later, while covering the Siege of Misrata, he was injured by incoming mortar fire and took four pieces of shrapnel to the chest, shoulder and arm, losing nearly half the blood in his body and requiring two transfusions. [9] His colleagues Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros were both killed in the same attack. [10] [11] Brown returned to Libya twice in 2012 and was the subject of the Michael Mann directed HBO documentary series Witness: Libya. [12] In March 2012 Brown and Men's Journal writer Josh Davis were briefly kidnapped at gunpoint while covering a drifting event in Benghazi. [13]

Brown has documented conflict in and around the Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2012 and was based in Goma from late 2012 until early 2014.

A contributing photographer at National Geographic [14] since 2005, where he has completed adventure and cultural stories, Brown is also a contributor to The New York Times Magazine and other publications. Since 2006 his photographs have been published in dozens of international publications. He joined Magnum Photos as a nominee in 2013 [15] and was an associate from 2015 [16] until leaving the agency in June 2017. [17]

Brown's book Libyan Sugar won the Paris Photo First Photobook Award and the International Center of Photography's 2017 Infinity Award for Artist's Book.

In 2015 and 2016 Brown produced Paradiso, a multimedia project on the electronica music and youth scene in Havana, Cuba, part of which was exhibited in 2017 during the Cuba IS show at the Annenberg Space for Photography. [18]

In 2018 Brown released the book Yo Soy Fidel, which follows the cortège of Fidel Castro, former Cuban revolutionary and politician, over a period of several days in late 2016.

Publications

Publications by Brown

Publications with contributions by Brown

Films

Exhibitions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Capa</span> Hungarian-American photographer

Robert Capa was a Hungarian-American war photographer and photojournalist. He is considered by some to be the greatest combat and adventure photographer in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnum Photos</span> International photographic cooperative

Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in Paris, New York City, London and Tokyo. It was founded in 1947 in Paris by photographers Robert Capa, David "Chim" Seymour, Maria Eisner, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, William Vandivert, and Rita Vandivert. Its photographers retain all copyrights to their own work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henri Cartier-Bresson</span> French photographer (1908–2004)

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French artist and humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl De Keyzer</span> Belgian photographer (born 1958)

Carl De Keyzer is a Belgian photographer. Major subjects in his work have included the collapse of the Soviet Union, and India. He became a full member of Magnum Photos in 1994. De Keyzer has exhibited his work in many European galleries and has received several awards, including the Book Award from Rencontres d'Arles, the W. Eugene Smith Award and the Kodak Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberto Korda</span> Cuban photographer

Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez, better known as Alberto Korda or simply Korda, was a Cuban photographer, remembered for his famous image Guerrillero Heroico of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara.

Chris Hondros was an American war photographer. Hondros was a finalist twice for a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Greenfield-Sanders</span> American filmmaker and photographer (born 1952)

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders is an American documentary filmmaker and portrait photographer based in New York City. The majority of his work is shot in large format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raghu Rai</span> Documentary photographer

Raghu Rai is an Indian photographer and photojournalist. He was a protégé of Henri Cartier-Bresson, who nominated Rai, then a young photojournalist, to join Magnum Photos in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Benson</span> Scottish photographer

Harry James Benson CBE is a Scottish photographer. His photographs of celebrities have been published in magazines. He has published several books and won a number of prominent awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René Burri</span>

René Burri was a Swiss photographer. Burri was a member of Magnum Photos and photographed major political, historical and cultural events and key figures of the second half of the 20th century. He made portraits of Che Guevara and Pablo Picasso as well as iconic pictures of São Paulo and Brasília.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Hetherington</span> British photojournalist

Timothy Alistair Telemachus Hetherington was a British photojournalist. He produced books, films and other work that "ranged from multi-screen installations, to fly-poster exhibitions, to handheld device downloads" and was a regular contributor to Vanity Fair.

Christopher Horace Steele-Perkins is a British photographer and member of Magnum Photos, best known for his depictions of Africa, Afghanistan, England, Northern Ireland, and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynsey Addario</span> American photojournalist (born 1973)

Lynsey Addario is an American photojournalist. Her work often focuses on conflicts and human rights issues, especially the role of women in traditional societies. In 2022, she received a Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF).

Alex Majoli is an Italian photographer known for his documentation of war and conflict. He is a member of Magnum Photos. Majoli's work focuses on the human condition and the theater within our daily lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomas van Houtryve</span>

Tomas van Houtryve is a Belgian visual artist, director and cinematographer working mainly with photography and video. He is known for using a wide range of contemporary and early image-making techniques. Van Houtryve is a Fellow at Columbia University's Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris, an Emeritus member of the VII Photo Agency, a National Geographic Explorer since 2024, and a Contributing Artist for Harper's Magazine.

David Guttenfelder is an American photojournalist focusing on geopolitical conflict, conservation, and culture. He is currently a photographer with National Geographic, based in Minneapolis. He is known for his photos of North Korea.

Mikhael Subotzky is a South African artist based in Johannesburg. His installation, film, video and photographic work have been exhibited widely in museums and galleries, and received awards including the KLM Paul Huf Award, W. Eugene Smith Grant, Oskar Barnack Award and the Discovery Award at Rencontres d'Arles. He has published the books Beaufort West (2008), Retinal Shift (2012) and, with Patrick Waterhouse, Ponte City (2014). Subotzky is a member of Magnum Photos and his work is held in the collections of the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Moises Saman is a Spanish-Peruvian photographer, based in Tokyo. He is considered "one of the leading conflict photographers of his generation" and is a full member of Magnum Photos. Saman is best known for his photographs from Iraq. His book Discordia (2016) is about the revolution in Egypt and the broader Arab Spring. Glad Tidings of Benevolence (2023) is about the Iraq War.

Sim Chi Yin is an artist from Singapore whose research-based practice includes photography, moving image, archival interventions, book-making and text-based performance, and focuses on history, conflict, memory and extraction. She has exhibited in solo shows in Europe and Asia, and her work has been shown in biennales and triennials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balazs Gardi</span> Hungarian photographer

Balazs Gardi is a Hungarian-born, American-based photographer. In 2008, Gardi received two 1st Prizes in the World Press Photo Awards and won the Photojournalism prize in the Bayeux-Calvados Award for War Correspondents for his work from Afghanistan.

References

  1. ↑ Bruno Bayley (April 25, 2016). "A War Photographer Talks About the Demands of Documenting Conflict". Vice. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  2. ↑ Coralie Kraft. "Libyan Sugar". LensCulture. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Magnum Photos: Profile of Michael Christopher Brown". Magnum Photos. June 12, 2016. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Michael Christopher Brown: Sakhalin", Burn, 25 May 2009. Accessed 23 February 2017.
  5. 1 2 Karen Brost (May 15, 2013). "Witness to the World: Photojournalist Michael Christopher Brown Puts Conflict in Focus". JetsetMag.com. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  6. ↑ Ruby Love (March 4, 2014). "Michael Christopher Brown on Living and Working in the DRC". Fstoppers. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  7. ↑ McClell, Nicholas Hegel. "The War in Libya: Photographs by Michael Christopher Brown". Time. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  8. ↑ "The Realities of a Revolution: The Libyan Crisis". ABC News. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  9. ↑ Basu, Moni (August 24, 2015). "Surviving one of photojournalism's darkest moments". CNN. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  10. ↑ Dunlap, David W.; Estrin, James; MacDonald, Kerri (April 22, 2011). "At 27, Guy Martin Becomes a Veteran". Lens Blog. The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  11. ↑ Staff writer (April 22, 2011). "Bodies of Two Photographers Killed in Libya Arrive in Benghazi". CNN. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  12. ↑ Maria Lokke (November 12, 2012). "Witness: Libya". The New Yorker. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Arab Spring Break". Men's Journal. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Michael Brown", National Geographic
  15. ↑ Olivier Laurent (July 1, 2013). "Michael Christopher Brown joins Magnum Photos [update]". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  16. ↑ Laurent, Olivier. "Magnum Photos Adds Record-Breaking Number of New Members". Time. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Magnum Photos". Magnum Photos. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  18. 1 2 "Cuba Is". Annenberg Space for Photography. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  19. ↑ Lokke, Maria (November 12, 2012). "Witness: Libya". The New Yorker . New York. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Which Way Is the Frontline From Here: The Life and Times of Tim Heatherington". HBO. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Filmmakers". The Prosecutors. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Cuba Is | Annenberg Space for Photography". Annenberg Space for Photography. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Home". www.chrishondrosfilm.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Home". This Is Congo. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Simply Beautiful" Steven Kasher Gallery. Accessed 24 February 2017.
  26. ↑ "Revolucione(s). From the frontlines to the walls of Instituto Cervantes." Instituto Cervantes. Accessed 24 February 2017.
  27. ↑ "WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath" Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Accessed 24 February 2017.
  28. ↑ "The Arc of War at the Brooklyn Museum" Art in America. Accessed 24 February 2017.
  29. ↑ "War/Photography" Annenberg Space for Photography. Accessed 24 February 2017.
  30. ↑ "WAR/PHOTOGRAPHY: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath" Brooklyn Museum of Art. Accessed 24 February 2017.
  31. ↑ Johnson, Ken (November 14, 2013). "Poignant Images, With Posterity the Ultimate Winner: 'War/Photography' at the Brooklyn Museum". The New York Times . New York. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  32. ↑ "Simply Beautiful" International Center of Photography. Accessed 24 February 2017.
  33. ↑ "Magnum Photographers Show How Covering Civil War Has Changed" Slate (magazine), 21 July 2015. Accessed 24 February 2017.
  34. ↑ "Odyssey Europe: Exile and Refuge Since 1945" Magnum Photos. Accessed 24 February 2017.
  35. ↑ Plinth, James Tiplady @ This Here for. "The Magnum Home". Plinth. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  36. ↑ "Magnum Manifesto". International Center of Photography. July 6, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Les Recontres d'Arles". Rencontres d'Arles .
  38. ↑ "Je mange donc je suis". Musée de l'Homme (in French). Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  39. ↑ "This is Cuba: Documentary Photography after Fidel".
  40. ↑ "Michael Christopher Brown-IReporter alla Galleria d'Arte Moderna- le Ciminiere di Catania". October 8, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.