Tria Gallery presents Ceci n’est pas une personne, a solo show featuring recent works by L.A. photographer Michael Katcher.

With a wink to the viewer and to the “subjects” of his photographs, Katcher undeniably captures very identifiable human traits and characteristics in his work. However his subjects are not actually people; they are mannequins. And despite their inanimate nature, Katcher’s photographs make the viewer feel that he or she might know the person. Or at least the “type”. With an intelligent sense of humor and a beautiful sense of lighting and overall composition, Katcher’s lens draws you into these people you feel you know. Or don’t know. For ceci n’est pas une personne.

When asked about the inspiration behind his photographs and the “painterly” quality of his work in the Ceci n’est pas une personne series, Katcher explained:

The subject of my work is not a person – it is a Mannequin. I use the window display as a canvas, shooting soft focus to distort the image’s perspective. I only have a few minutes to set the shot up, using only natural lighting. As the sun starts to set, and the storefront lights start to illuminate, I crop before I take the picture. Usually one shot and I walk away…

In processing, there is no manipulation at all. I want the colors to bleed into each other. Whether it’s a burst of yellow or some shade of gray, the color makes the picture. I want the photograph to feel like an abstract painting. As a child, I was always drawn to painting, even though I couldn’t use the brush like my mother or sisters. So I wanted to tell my story through photographs.

Born in Brooklyn, Katcher went to high school in Great Neck, NY. He later went to Emerson College in Boston, where he graduated with a BFA in Theater. It was there that he picked up his first camera.

Katcher moved to Los Angeles in 1989 where he first worked as a casting director, casting such television shows as The Wonder Years, The Larry Sanders Show, and 3rd Rock from the Sun. From there, he went on to become VP of Casting at CBS, where he oversaw the casting of comedies like Everybody Loves Raymond and The King of Queens. Still living in Los Angeles, Katcher currently oversees the TV Talent area of Creative Artists Agency.

It is the mission of Tria Gallery to exhibit a balance of established artists with impressive resumes and exciting young talent, showing representational and abstract work, painting, sculpture, mixed media and installations. The common denominator is that the Tria artist has a unique, authentic voice and a compelling body of work which the directors feel should be given an audience.

Tria is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm, or by appointment. Ceci n’est pas une personne opens June 7 and remains on exhibition through June 25, 2012. For more information, please visit www.triagallerynyc.com.