Larry Melkus

Artist's Statement

I am Larry Melkus, born in Hamtramck, Michigan in 1950. My journey in photography began around age 10 watching my father develop film and make black & white prints in a makeshift basement darkroom. Photography became my passion early, and at 16, I received national recognition from Scholastic Magazine for an experimental photogram à la Man Ray’s “Rayographs". This early recognition, along with experiences as a yearbook photographer, guided me toward formal study in photography & printmaking at the Art School of the Society of Arts & Crafts in Detroit. Midway through, I embarked on a different journey, studying abroad with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which led me to teach Transcendental Meditation for several years. These experiences enriched my understanding of perception, deepening my appreciation for the unseen aspects of reality.

In 1980, after working as a freelance assistant, I launched a commercial automotive photography studio, which I operated for nearly three decades. I adopted digital technology early and my work was highlighted alongside Ryszard Horowitz on the cover of Cyber Design: Computer Manipulated Photography in 1995, an era of transformation in the digital imaging world. Today, I focus on my personal work, offering museum-quality digital reproduction printing to other artists.

In my photography, I am less interested in capturing the literal subject and more drawn to the emotional resonance beneath it—a world that lies just outside our sensory reach. My aim is to reveal the subtle currents that define meaning, inviting viewers to look beyond the surface and sense the larger, intangible presence that permeates our lives. I hope my work stirs curiosity and wonder, a reminder that each image can be a doorway to a more expansive reality.