Ocean Morisset
Photographer
Ocean Morisset
Spiritus1@aol.com
oceanmorisset.com (917) 535-3309
Ocean Morisset is a Haitian-American self-taught (freelance) photographer specializing in Photojournalism and Documentary photography. A self described “inconstant” photographer, Ocean also explores Fine Art photography and engages with a wide range of subjects in life, though his passion remain in telling stories with images. Ocean’s choice of subject matter reveals his humanitarianism, as he has a keen eye for the unnoticed and under-appreciated aspects of life, and presents them in a way that the viewer takes hold of the image for their own self-reflection.
Ocean’s serious interest in photography began in 2001 when he was given a 35mm camera as a gift. He quickly fell in love with the medium, and the magic of making prints in his tiny darkroom built in a spare bathroom. Ocean’s natural inclination was to share his love of photography with others and so, in the same year, Ocean founded the Fort Greene Photography Organization (FGPO). With flyers placed around the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, he put out a call for people to join a “ Serious Amateur Photography Club”. The notices drew both professional and amateur photographer’s of varying genre’s of photography, and as a collective, FGPO began sharing work at meetings and planning exhibitions across the city. While FGPO is no longer operating as a group, they are proud of the experience of showcasing local photographers work in over fourteen exhibitions in the ten year period of the club’s existence, and solidifying members’ passion and commitment to photography.
Ocean Morisset career highlights include:
2001- Ocean establishes the Fort Greene Photography Organization, a membership organization of photographer amateurs and professionals.
2003- Ocean travels to Havana, Cuba to teach a two week photography and arts workshop to Cuban youth under a grant secured by Cuban-American Photographer Nestor Hernandez.
2004- Ocean travels to Gonaives, Haiti with the humanitarian organization Eritaj Foundation to deliver food aid and medical supplies to survivors of Hurricane Jeanne. While there, he photographs the resilience of the Haitian people with special emphasis placed on the food distribution efforts. The photo essay is called The Aftermath of Hurricane Jeanne and has been exhibited at Musician Wyclef Jean’s launch of his Foundation,Yele Haiti.
2004- Ocean begins documenting the Black Gay community with projects that include Mukuru: Black Gay Elders and Pride in the City, New York’s Black Gay Pride celebrations. The Black Male Nude project also begins this year.
2005- Ocean is accepted to the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop for Photojournalism with his portfolio of images from The Aftermath of Hurricane Jeanne. At the end of the four day workshop, due to his outstanding performance, Ocean is awarded an assignment with The New York Times and TV Guide Magazine.
2005- Select images from Ocean’s body of work of the Black Male Nude is published in the book, Black No. 5 published by Janssen Publishing, South Africa.
2006- Ocean is commissioned to photograph the subject of Black Male Nudes for a book to be published out of the UK.
2007-08 —The coffee table book Nude Photography, The Art and Craft is published featuring Ocean’s black male nude photography by DK publishing, the largest publishing house in the UK.
2009--Ocean's work is accepted for CurateNYC, a city-wide juried artist competition and is exhibited at Corridor Gallery in Chelsea.
2010--Ocean travels to Haiti on a medical relief mission, tending to the sick and wounded. He has documented his experience in this photo essay:
http://brothaluvacafe.blogspot.com/2010/05/medical-mission-to-haiti.html
2010- Ocean continues to photograph personal and commercial projects, and enjoys making new discoveries through photography.
2011- For a second year, Ocean's photography is accepted for CurateNYC, an city-wide juried artist competition, and is exhibited at Corridor Gallery in Chelsea.
2011--Ocean has his second solo exhibition Diasporan Views at Sister's uptown Cultural spot, NYC
2012--Ocean exhibits his photographs in the historic photography exhibition, A Choice of Weapons: New Renaissance Artists, a tribute to the legendary photographer/filmmaker Gordon Parks.
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In July of 2011, Ocean Morisset was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a blood cancer which spread to his bone marrow. Since then, he has been documenting his own intimate journey with, and through cancer in a series of self-portraits, revealing personal moments while receiving chemotherapy and private moments inside his own thoughts and feelings at home. Ocean’s decision to turn the camera onto himself in such a revealing way was not a difficult one as he was intent sharing his personal struggle for the benefit of those who want to learn and even heal. He also recognizes that when most people get a disease, or any type of affliction, the tendency is to isolate and withdraw from society. Ocean was determined to show another way of dealing with this particular life challenge.
Ocean Morisset has exhibited internationally, and has been published in two international photography books; Nude Photography, The Art and Craft by Pascal Baetens, published out of the UK, and Black No. 5by Juergen Janssen, published out of South Africa. In May of 2011, Ocean self-published his first book of photography titled Musings.
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Ocean currently resides in Harlem, New York.
Tele# (917) 535-3309
Email: spiritus1@aol.com
Blog: brothaluvacafe.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ocean.morisset