In 2004, Michelle Cheikin set about taking medium-format, color negative images of neighborhoods in the borough of Queens. The culmination of images, a book project titled “Queens Surface,” portrays gritty, urban, vacant spaces in a fragile light that celebrates overlooked areas. This series offers insight into the translation of place as it observes the Queens of yesterday, before it disappears in renovation and development.
Michelle Cheikin was born in Virginia Beach, 1970. She holds an MFA degree in Photography and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts. She teaches courses in Digital Photography and Media Design at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York. Her photography has been exhibited in the Queens Museum of Art, The Bronx Museum of the Arts and in galleries nationwide. She currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.
Nominated by Reviewer: Corinne Tapia, Gallery Director, http://souslesetoilesgallery.net/Sous Les Etoiles
