The 3 Minute Portrait Experiment

Here's a preview of the 30 (or 50) 3 minute portraits, a concept book. There's 25 portraits started in this potentially 50 page book. I found myself waiting for volunteer and paying models to decide when they wanted to show up for their portraits. So one morning I just went out and took them. The book is turning out to be a great psychological exprience, each portrait containing its own story, the book itself manifesting its own narrative. I've written some of the sitter's comments into the work and invite them to define attributes into their own portraits. The first picture sets the flavour of the book. Before I drew him, my friend Jabbar al Janabi said "You can do what you want. I'm not going to pose."

Last year Mike had solo shows at Don Giovanni's, Bukowski's (with Jordan Bent), Mecca, Lugz, and Turks and showed at the Roundhouse for the annual collaberative performance peice "Anu." He'll be showing over a dozen books at the Britannia Branch Library in July. He'll also be performing at the Railway Club in May.


7 printmaking methods 1997 the portrait ongoing the 3 minute portrait experiment (25 in a 3 day marathon)2003 the Carnegie Hall Sessions 2001 lil' nudes (paint on photograph of large life studies) 1997-2003 pen & ink drawings from t.v. 1994 "Rachmaninoff" & other Composers (very recent work in development) 2003 portrait of an artist as a young man (& other novels drawn by me) 2000-2002 paintings of C.R. Avery's "A Shotgun Wedding" 2002 "the quick brown fox" is out for awhile moonmojo(5 songs) 2003 the diarial adventures of Mickey the Swan 2002 sha.la.la.la (the late 20th Century . Bop) 1988 a contribution to Jabbar Al Janabi's "Anu"2001 commercial work ongoing studies of bus stops 1988 studies of taverns 1988 MiketheSwan@yahoo.com sign guestbook view guestbook c.v.