Student Union - Matt Mikulla

Jay McCabe, November, 2001

Photos © 2001, Matt Mikulla, All Rights Reserved University Of Montana Missoula, Montana

Design In Mind A senior at the University of Montana studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree with an art major, Matt came to photography through graphics and the computer. "I think of myself more as a designer than a photographer," he says. "When I graduate I’d like to open a graphics studio in Missoula. I’m interested in applying fine art to graphic illustration."

With the exception of Matt’s self-portrait, the images here feature only slight digital manipulation. Rather, their effects are mostly the result of cross-processing; that is, slide film processed in C-41 chemistry. "My photographic style right now is pretty much experimental." Matt’s influences are more likely to come from art than photography. He cites the German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich and San Francisco Bay-area artists Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelly. A particular favorite among photographers is Andreas Gursky.

"I think of the photograph as an element in the overall graphic idea," Matt says. Do you know a student whose work deserves attention? If so, contact our editorial department by e-mail: editorial@shutterbug.net or call (321) 269-3212.