Michael Ivan Schwartz presents his first solo art show at The Alchemy of Art in the Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Throughout the month of April 2026 his 27 portraits will be on display in this contemporary art gallery. Show opening party is Ap
Two series are presented. TATT2U showcases photos of individuals with tattoos captured in unique poses contextualizing their body art and life story. ART OF DANCE utilizes digital manipulation of photographs capturing people in the act of dance through his travels to Havana, Okinawa, and in his hometown of Baltimore.
April 2, 2026 is the show opening from 6-9pm. The event is free and open to the public. There will be light refreshments and drinks as well as a DJ set from 106.7KRIS to set the mood. The framed prints will be available for purchase.
THE ALCHEMY OF ART SHOW
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
The series TATT2U is a visual exploration of the profound connection between body art and personal identity. Tattoos, often deeply symbolic, serve as living testimonies of experiences, memories, beliefs, and transformations. In this series, I invite viewers into the intimate worlds of individuals who carry their stories, hopes, and struggles on their skin, framing their tattoos within spaces that reflect the broader narrative of their lives.
Each photograph in TATT2U captures a subject not just posing with their tattoo, but engaging with the environment that has shaped them. The backdrop serves as an extension of their personal history—be it a metaphorical space, a physical environment, or a memory preserved in time. The series seeks to amplify the complexity of the human experience, highlighting how tattoos are not isolated markings but intricate parts of a larger, ongoing story.
Through these portraits, I aim to shift the narrative surrounding tattoos—often viewed as mere decoration or rebellion—toward an understanding of them as potent symbols of identity, culture, and personal transformation. The contrast between the raw, permanent nature of ink on skin and the mutable, ever-evolving nature of human existence is central to this project, encouraging reflection on the ways in which we define ourselves and our stories.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Recently I was asked what my top 3 attributes I was looking for in a romantic partner. One of the first things that popped out of my mouth was, “She must dance.” My photography is often made in musical settings. I love catching people in performance mode. Sometimes this is a musician sharing their art. However, my favorite is to capture the audience responding to the music surrounding them.
The Art of Dance series was born from observing people letting their bodies move to the beat. The images caught digitally through my lens were edited in Adobe Lightroom. I then brought them into Adobe Photoshop to craft them into a painterly style. I remove the background and let the figures pop against an imagined canvas. As someone who has zero skill with a brush it’s a fantastic joy for me to digitally manipulate my photographs to look like paintings.
These artist renderings were originally captured in my travels to Okinawa, Japan and Havana, Cuba as well as in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
