Ron Nicolaysen began to pursue photography seriously during his undergraduate years at Beloit College in Wisconsin, from which he graduated in 1971. Subsequently Ron returned home to New York City, where he took seminars and workshops from leading photographers, several of whom had a great influence on his work, including Harry Callahan, Lee Friedlander, Duane Michals, and Ansel Adams. Ron’s career took a commercial direction in the early 1980's. During this period he lived in Paris and Milan while working as a fashion photographer for magazines such as Vogue (American and Italian), Glamour, Mademoiselle, Self, Bazaar (American and Italian), Votre Beauté, linea, Grazia, Cosmopolitan. Ron returned to New York in 1985 and continued to work commercially. In the late 1990's he began a shift towards fine art and documentary photography. In 2002 he spent two months on a research vessel in the Southern Ocean off Antarctica, documenting a oceanographic research project funded by the National Science Foundation. From 2000 until the present Ron has participated in several solo and group shows in the United States and in Italy, and has taught photographic workshops. In June 2007 Ron Nicolaysen completed a photographic project and book (published by Skira) entitled Mediterranean Portraits. In 2009 worked on a United Nations project, Division for the Advancement of Women, which was exhibited at the United Nations. These were portraits of recovered victims from human trafficking.
Solo Exhibitions
Human Trafficking - United Nations project, Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) - November, 2008 & March, 2009
Mediterranean Portraits - Chiesa della Manna d'Oro, Spoleto, Italy - May,June 2007
Martina Corgnati, curator
In collaboration with: Sistema Museo and Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna Mediterranean Portraits - Parco Orcynus Orca, Messina, Italy - July-October 2007
Martina Corgnati, curator
Group Exhibitions
Comune di Monza - Il Parco di Monza - June, 2006 Mediterranean Encounters - Horcynus Orca Foundation - May 2005 43rd Premio Suzzara - Soul and Body, Between Tradition and Cybernetics; September, 2003 Suzzara, Italy - SetArt; July 2003; Como, Italy Photo District Gallery - State of the Art, July, August 2003; New York, NY
Seminars / Workshops
Private International workshop; New York, NY - Summer 2010 Private International workshop; New York, NY - Summer 2009 Pratt Institute; Professional Practices for Photographers - Fall 2008 Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti di Milano (NABA) - one day workship: Mario Cresci class - June 2007 Private International workshop; New York, NY - Summer 2008 Comune di Monza - Il Parco di Monza - April 2006 Mediterranean Encounters - Horcynus Orca Foundation - workshop - May 2005
Client list (partial) United States: Vogue, Bazaar, Glamour, Self, Mademoiselle Cosmopolitan, Maybelline, Avon, Lord & Taylor, Spiegel American Express, Discover Magazine, Science Magazine, National Geographic Magazine, Scientific American, National Science Foundation, Research Magazine Europe: Vogue (It), Bazaar (It), Grazia (It), Linea (It), Votre Beaute (Fr), Cosmopolitan (Eng), La Perla, Armani, Automobile Classiques (Fr), Fielmann (Ger), Otto Versand (Ger)
Education International Center of Photography 1976 New York Institute of Photography 1975 Beloit College, BA 1971