¹û½´ÊÓƵ

Michael Berman is a photographer based in Southern New Mexico, whose work focuses on the beauty and intricate ecosystems of deserts and grasslands. His interdisciplinary background informs his practice and includes a biology bachelor's from Colorado College and an MFA in photography from Arizona State University. During his time at Arizona State he committed to black and white, allowing him to capture nature with precision and sensitivity, extending the tradition of western landscape photography. His commitment to the desert as a subject and meticulous documentation earned him a 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship to photograph the Chihuahuan Desert grasslands. Through his lens, Berman raises awareness of life within these overlooked, marginalized landscapes, meticulously capturing plants, animals, the subtle impact of the wind, and signs of human life, with his black and white compositions emphasizing texture, light, and shadow. Critically, Berman's photos reveal the desert's brutal reality and wounds from human misuse, serving as commentary on environmental impact and asks viewers to confront the consequences of human actions on fragile ecosystems.

The artist biographies for Witness Nothing were collaboratively written by curatorial interns Julyet Carillo and Elisa Leyva, with the oversight of Henry Schulte Assistant Curator of Practice. The content was compiled from a variety of sources, including personal websites, institutional biographies, critical essays, artist interviews, and exhibition texts. A comprehensive bibliography of all sources used is provided below. It is important to note that Gemini, a Google AI, was utilized in the editing process to condense and refine the initial drafts into more concise paragraphs, using the prompt: "Use the following information to shorten each artist bio to one paragraph.”  

Bibliography