Michael James O’Brien

Girlfriend, Portfolio of 9 Portraits, From The Girlfriend series, B&W photograph

1990-1992

Michael James O’Brien is a photographer, teacher, curator, poet, and activist currently based in Atlanta, GA. He has had solo exhibitions in New York, Paris, Beijing, Hong Kong, Antwerp, Istanbul, Liverpool, and Savannah GA. in addition to having worked in London’s National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection. His work has been featured in publications like Rolling Stone, Vogue UK, The New Yorker, GQ, Eyemazing, Black & White Photography UK, The Guardian, The Financial Times among many others. He has been Editor-at-Large of Verbal Abuse, the poetry zine as well as Contributing Editor for Departures Magazine. His book Girlfriend; Men, Women, and Drag, with text by Holly Brubach, was published by Random House in English, French & Japanese in 2000. From 1900 to 2000 he did all the still photography for Matthew Barney’s Drawing Restraint 7 as well as Cremaster 1,2,4 & 5 which were exhibited worldwide. For over 20 years, O’Brien was a member of ACTUP as well as a volunteer for GMHC and Terrence Higgins Trust UK. He was a co-producer of the Love Ball in NYC & Paris, which over the years raised more than $3million for people living with HIV/AIDS. He was the Creative Director for DAA/Designers Against Aids in 2011-12 and produced the Live Positive Campaign for the Flemish HIV Awareness organization, SENSOA in 2013. O’Brien is based in Atlanta where he is the Chair of Photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design/SCAD. He is currently the Chair of the Advisory Council of Atlanta Celebrates Photography.