september 13

September 13
i posted a new gallery of photos, all taking around or behind my Beppe's house. you can check it out HERE.

and one of the free neighbourhood newspapers is probably going to do a story on my photography...the only trick is i needed to write a 'bio'. hard. i mean, i could easily write a bio about my teaching or activism or even my love life....but photography? but, in the end, i had to write something, so here it is:

"Michael Erickson was born in Ottawa, Ontario but has lived in Toronto for 15 years; for the last 2 years he has called Parkdale his home, after living for 10 years in the Annex.

Currently a high school teacher at Harbord C.I., Michael has never contained his creativity to one field or focus. Creative writing, specifically poetry, has been his most consistent media. Michael’s commitment to social justice and human rights permeates both his paid and unpaid work. Many people know him as a dedicated community organizer, with a focus on youth issues as well as identity-based oppressions.

Michael’s love and craft of photography grew from taking pictures while traveling across South America, West Africa, Europe, Canada and the U.S. It has only been in this last year that he has turned the camera on his home: Toronto.

Michael sees his photography as craft rather than art. In the tradition of D.I.Y. craft, Michael is self-taught, using the materials and subjects around him. He gets pleasure from experimenting, playing and learning-by-doing. He is trying not to let traditional or contemporary notions of ‘Art’ affect his work; he neither defines himself in opposition to these things nor does he strive to fit into them. He often jokes that “moms love my photos” and that “sometimes i just want to make something pretty”; he hopes his work is accessible without being cheesy or overdone.

This summer, Michael built and launched a website that combines his photography and poetry. An unique component of the site is what he refers to as ‘Artifacts’. An ‘Artifact’ matches up a new photograph with an old fragment of poetry. He plans on adding a new ‘Artifact’ each week. He named the website The Preservation of Shadows and Light. "