Photo Reporter Mag. F 1980

                                                     Michael was born in Berlin Charlottenburg to Kaufmann Werner Russ and Lygia Russ  in January 1945.  

                                                     They divorced in 1949 and Michael was raised by his father and stepmother.                                                                                                                                  
                                                      He was first exposed to photography at the age of ten through an older sister, who attended Lette Haus, a Berlin arts academy.              

                                                      Upon his father's death in 1958, Michael came to America at the age of thirteen,  rejoining his mother.                                                                     

                                                      He studied ballet and drama while attending highschool in Denver Colorado and performed locally.                      

                                                      At age seventeen his mother volunteered him for the U.S. Army, he was stationed in Bamberg, Germany.

                                                      After three years in the US Army and a failed marriage,  he settled in New York intending to pursue in acting career. 

                                                      He attended Renata Manhardt's New York  actors workshop and, among other things, worked as a travel escort for european bus tours, 
                                                      throughout North America. 

                                                      Inspired by Antonioni's now classic film 'BLOW UP'  about  a London photographer , he began taking pictures of his fellow acting students.

                                                      Self taught, searching for his own style, he began shooting and processing images to look as though they come off the silver screen. 

                                                      Grainy horizontal pictures in black and white 'The still picture appearing in subtle motion', which he toned and handcolored.                                                                                                                                  
                                                      His portfolio was built around fashion tests for New York modelling agencies. Wilhelmina, Ford, Zoli's.

                                                      He joined the Freelance Photographer's Association, housed in a  small studio on top of the Blake Hotel at Times Square, 
                                                      shared by 30 photographers from all over the world.

                                                      His first break was an eight page spread for MEN'S WEAR magazine in 1969. 
                                                      He moved into a studio of his own at 11E17th street at Union Square, around the corner of Andy Warhol's 'Factory'.

                                                      In 1971 he shot twenty one pages for GQ's design showcase.  In May of 1973 Michael's style was featured on the cover of ART DIRECTION  Magazine.                                                                                                                    
                                                      He liked shooting female erotica and contributed to three PLAYBOY PRESS books.                                             

                                                      His career lept forward after moving to Paris in 1976, when he developed 'sujets de chambre', sequential room stories, for VOGUE HOMMES.

                                                      His hand tinted images, which he calls 'TINTONES' ( Tint One - Tin Tone) where published in German PLAYBOY and leading european trade, 
                                                      fashion and  AVANT  GUARDE  magazines. 

                                                      His postcard edition 'THE COMPAGNIE' was included in the MUSEÈ DES ARTS DECORATIFS, a  LOUVRE annex.                                                              

                                                     As artistic consultant, Michael developed an erotic feature, 'Mme. CLAUDE II',  (US title: INTIMATE MOMENTS) for the French film industry. 

                                                      He moved to Los Angeles in 1981 and had a 'TinTone' exhibition at the CHINA CLUB in '83, called 'PRUSSIAN BLUE'. 
                                                      In reference to the shade ' Prussian Blue', invented by Diesbach in Berlin in 1871. (Websters)

                                                      TOM WAITS  visited Michael¹s show and commissioned his Island label album cover, SWORFISHTROMBONES.  
                                                      Michael also co-directed 'IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD', Tom¹s MTV video.

                                                      In 1984 his second son,  Floyd was born in L.A.  In 1986 they moved to Hamburg and then to Munich.

                                                      During this time he developed his fine art 'TINTONE' Negative/Positive photography.                   

                                                      These 'one of a kind' TinTone  images were published in various portfolios, ART WORK, magazine galleries and on the covers of prestigious 
                                                      COLOR FOTO Magazines.

                                                      In 1994 he produced an experimental promotional TV spot entitled 'OCEANS' for VOX TV in Europe. 
                                                      He also worked in motion ... shooting 'the makings of' for commercial clients. Grey Advertising in Marocco.

                                                      He moved back to L.A. in 1996 where he directed Samantha Fox¹s comeback video: 'THE REASON IS YOU'.            

                                                      In 1998 Michael moved to Santa Fe New Mexico, where he studied computer design and produced/directed TV commercials for DONALD J. PLINER.                     
                                                      He also exhibited large scale TINTONE Iris/Giclee prints at THE IMAGE HOUSE GALLERY and THE PARAMOUNT in Santa Fe N.M. 
                                                      and at FULLER's LODGE Gallery in Los Alamos N.M.        

                                                      In October 2001 Michael returned to his native Berlin where he spent two years and exhibited at the BERLIN EROTIC MUSEUM and produced a  short 
                 
                                                      flash film ROUGH PRINT - thestudio   twohundredandseventysecondsofyourlife.                                                                                                                
 
                                                      He continues to  pursue the realisation of his filmscript 'DARK  ROOM':  'The surreal  journey of a photographer,  who recreates erotic images,  
                                                      buried in his subconscience.'  

                                                      M. A. Russ Portfolio und Bio FINE ART FOTO MAGAZIN 01/05    German language.
                                                     
                                                      Largescale TinTone AluDuBond/Silver at   FINEARTS CON.TRA.  Salongallery  Berlin Charlottenburg.  ART CENTER BERLIN in October 2008.   

                                                      Michael commutes between  Los Angeles, NY. Hamburg and Berlin.           

                                                                          
                                                                                                                            
                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                   
                                                                        
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