With projects tackling social issues, history, and community-building, photographer Michelle Tricca is using her talent for good. And, plenty of it. She believes that it’s her responsibility as a human and as a photographer. “Now more than ever, art and culture are essential aspects of the human experience. I value the printed image and am drawn to boldly displayed photographs. Photography has a social responsibility to make connections, alter perceptions and elicit emotion and I believe in its power to transform communities,” she says. “As an artist and sentimentalist, my work is motivated by the human condition. I’m driven by these elements when viewing or making an image: does the photograph make you feel something, illicit a mood or feeling, spark a memory or create a desire?”
We sat down with Michelle to find out how she balances this pull for justice with her need to make a living.
NL: Your fine art portrait photography is stunning. Family portraits are no longer just framed and stuck on a bookshelf. Yours are works of art.
MT: There are luxury markets for everything and photography is no different. I run a boutique portrait business. My niche is custom printed art. Boldly displayed photographs make a house a home. I outfit walls with larger-than-life photo galleries, coffee tables with custom photo books, and portrait boxes filled with prints. Family portraits are an investment in sentiment that only increases in value over time. A celebration of the people who bring joyful richness to life. The best photos are the ones you can feel… portraits are the quintessential keepsake.
NL: You are also an activist. Your Face of Immokalee public art installation champions an under-served, under-recognized migrant community. Visual storytelling projects are your initiative to create social change.
MT: This collaboration with the residents of Immokalee is an effort to honor, humanize and put a face to the people of this humble, hardworking agricultural town with abundant personality, story, and soul.. Portraits will be boldly exhibited on semi-trucks, building walls, and town Park. Public art murals help support the community and celebrate humanity while infusing art into unsuspecting places. I believe in doing things unexpected and bold and lifting up community through support and love. It really enlivens people’s spirits and brings them together. I’ve seen it, I know it happens because I’ve done it before. It shifts isolation and connects us all as humans.
NL: How can we experience the exhibition?
MT: What makes this public art project anomalous is a portion will be a moving exhibition, providing accessibility throughout Collier County and coastal Naples. I’m partnering with Lipman Produce to exhibit a portion of the mural on their building walls and semi-trailer trucks which will drive thru Collier County, an awesome opportunity to bridge the vastly juxtaposed regions, through art! The mural will be installed once significant funding is secured. Grants and tax-deductible contributions are being accepted via fiscal sponsorship. Go to ASMP.org for information.
NL: Switching hats, and make that a cowboy hat, tell us about your Florida Cowboys project.
MT: I had the honor of paying homage to this centuries-old lifestyle still thriving in its state of origin by photographing the raw experience of Cowboy life at Half Circle L Ranch in Immokalee. The authentic portraits and images of open skies, horsemanship, wrangling, branding, and camaraderie offer insight into this under-recognized life between Florida’s beaches. American Cowboys are iconic, globally recognized, and idealized. As symbols of freedom and rugged independence, men want to be them, women want to be with them, and children are fascinated.
NL: The state’s history with cowboys is fascinating and your print series: Florida Cowboy brings it to life.
MT: Defying the misnomer of ranching originating out west, cattle, and cowboy culture began in the United States when Juan Ponce de Leon brought cows to Florida in 1521. Long before Florida was granted statehood, this area was the country’s original home to cowboys. 2021 marks the 500th anniversary of Florida’s establishment as America’s First Cowboy State. To many newer generations or Floridians, this culture is unfamiliar and overlooked. I am proud to bring this anomalous aspect of local history to life in my new print series: Florida Cowboys.
NL: How have you made the most of the pandemic?
MT: I spent most of the quarantine curating the work into a custom-crafted, full-grain leather fine art book, available for purchase in limited edition through PhotographsForPhilanthropy.com.
NL: How can we find out more?
MT: I am intending to keep funds within the community, proceeds from the sale of Florida Cowboys to help fund The Face Of Immokalee. MichelleTricca.com. There’s a charitable contribution link to fund The Face Of Immokalee at PhotographsForPhilanthropy.com