“Although these photographs span more than twenty years and cover a good
portion of the state, The Face of Texas isn't meant
to be either a complete portrait of the state or to represent a balanced cross
section of Texas and its people. It is meant to be a celebration of the state
through its people. Some are celebrities, others are “regular” folk, but all
are unique and interesting in their own right. This loosely woven mosaic from
my random wanderings over the years, from one assignment to another, is merely
a collection of the people who have touched me.
Photography has been a great life for me. I can't think of another profession
that would have afforded me the privilege of meeting so many diverse and extraordinary
people and granted me access to so many compelling places. I am truly fortunate.
It has been a rich life. I am thankful for the generosity of all the subjects
who have stood in front of my camera and allowed me to make their picture.
Their photographs and stories tell a tale of an exceptional and mythical place
called Texas .”
Michael O'Brien was born in Memphis , Tennessee in 1950. When he was 18 he
entered the University of Tennessee in Knoxville . His friends were all musicians,
but because he “lacked musical talent,” he picked up the camera instead. He
helped put himself through school with what he earned as a staff photographer
for the campus newspaper along with occasional freelance jobs. By the time
he graduated – with a philosophy degree – he had amassed a solid black-and-white
portfolio and eventually found a job as staff photographer for the Miami News.
While at the newspaper he won two Robert F. Kennedy Journalism awards. The
resulting portfolio from this period of his life served as a springboard for
the next phase of his career, freelance magazine photography. O'Brien moved
to New York and for the next 14 years photographed people for Life, Esquire,
Fortune, National Geographic, and others.
In 1993 he settled in Austin with his wife Elizabeth and their three children. Austin , Texas continues to be their home where O'Brien does both advertising and magazine work. His photographs are in the permanent collections of the Harry Ransom Center and the University of Texas in Austin, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography in New York , and the Wittliff Collection of Southwestern and Mexican Photography at Southeast Texas State University in San Marcos , Texas .
San Angelo Museum
of Fine Arts
One Love Street
San Angelo, Texas 76903
Fax: (325) 658 - 6800
Phone: (325) 653 -
3333
e-mail:
museum@samfa.org