Michael Berman - Black and White Nautical Photography Artist Statement

The path to becoming a visual artist began, for me, on a boat, on the ocean, engaged in the process of sailing and contemplating the challenge of how to visually convey my experience.

Through photography I want to share the feeling of an ideal sailing moment, that brief instant when the sea, the light and the wind embrace a vessel and she heels over, shouldering a wave aside in a bold gesture that makes the viewer long for the romance and adventure of wooden ships and the sea.

Equally important and beautiful to me, and perhaps more difficult to portray, are the more subtle moments that reveal an abstract pattern or detail that explores the design elements of a boat or the many moods of the sea. In this series of black & white photographs, I have chosen to focus on schooners and sailing ships because they are the archetypes of the sailing world. Their complex silhouettes and multiple sails create a constantly changing palate of fascinating shapes and patterns that make these boats the perfect subjects for exploring the emotional and aesthetic appeal of sailing.

These vessels are also important - beyond beautiful and inspirational - because of their historic significance. They are surviving relics, a living history, that represents the rich heritage and culture of our maritime traditions.

My photographs are also an homage to the great marine photographers of the past like the Rosenfelds and Beken of Cowes, and to the present day sailors and craftsmen that keep these vessels sailing.