Lyle Owerko
Encyclopedia
Lyle Owerko is a filmmaker and photographer whose work has ranged from Sundance Channel to Time
to MTV
. His photos are collected by many business, entertainment and celebrity clients, they have been used in several films including Henry Singer
's The Falling Man
and The Omen (2006 film)
, as well as books such as Jonathan Safran Foer
's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
. His work is also included in the permanent archive of the Library of Congress
in Washington DC.
Owerko has directed Robert Redford
in a series of Sundance Channel commercial spots and shot a music video for the first single on Grammy Award
winner Jesse Harris
' new album Feel. He's also directed music videos for artists like Rufus Wainwright
and American Hi-Fi
.
In 2005 Princeton Architectural Press published Jennifer New's book Drawing From Life which featured Owerko's journals as well as those of Mike Figgis
, David Byrne
, Carol Beckwith and Maira Kalman
.
In 2006 Owerko traveled to Africa
as part of Dr. Jeffrey Sachs
’ "Millennium Promise" initiative, documenting the lives of the Lau people of Sauri, Kenya
. Current initiatives range from the multi-media exhibition "Faces of Poverty Project", to an art installation of large-scale portraits of the Samburu Warrior tribe, as well as a book on vintage consumer electronics.
Lyle shot the cover photograph of Time
on September 11, 2001. In 2005 the American Society of Magazine Editors
ranked it as one of the 40 most important magazine covers in the last 40 years. Further acknowledgment for Owerko’s work has come from the New York and German Art Directors Club, the http://designarchives.aiga.org/entry.cfm/eid_792 AIGA], American Photography, Print Magazine
, Step inside Design, The Type Directors Club
, The One Club
, New York Festivals, Communication Arts, The Royal Photographic Society
, and a Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
.
Owerko travels extensively around the world each year shooting assignments and personal work. He was raised in Calgary
, Canada
, studied at the Pratt Institute
where he earned a Masters in Science degree in the communication arts program. He resides in New York City
.
A portion of Owerko’s personal work as a photographer can be viewed in the self-published book And No Birds Sang, featuring images from September 11th, 2001.
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. His photos are collected by many business, entertainment and celebrity clients, they have been used in several films including Henry Singer
Henry Singer
Henry Singer is a documentary filmmaker. He produced the documentary 9/11: The Falling Man which dealt with the attempts to name an individual who jumped to his death from the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks...
's The Falling Man
The Falling Man
The Falling Man is a photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew, of a man falling from the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:41:15 a.m. during the September 11 attacks in New York City...
and The Omen (2006 film)
The Omen (2006 film)
The Omen is a 2006 remake of Richard Donner's The Omen of 1976 and a part of The Omen series. Directed by John Moore and written by David Seltzer, the film stars Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick...
, as well as books such as Jonathan Safran Foer
Jonathan Safran Foer
Jonathan Safran Foer is an American author best known for his novels Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close...
's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a 2005 novel by Jonathan Safran Foer.The book's narrator is a nine-year-old boy named Oskar Schell. Two years before the story begins, Oskar's father dies on 9/11...
. His work is also included in the permanent archive of the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in Washington DC.
Owerko has directed Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
in a series of Sundance Channel commercial spots and shot a music video for the first single on Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winner Jesse Harris
Jesse Harris
Jesse Harris is a Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter. He has collaborated with several musical artists including Norah Jones, Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux, Nikki Yanofsky, and Lizz Wright.-Early life and education:...
' new album Feel. He's also directed music videos for artists like Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
and American Hi-Fi
American Hi-Fi
American Hi-Fi is an American pop punk band from Los Angeles, California, which originally hailed from Boston, Massachusetts. The band consists of vocalist Stacy Jones, guitarist Jamie Arentzen, bassist Drew Parsons, and drummer Brian Nolan...
.
Career
Mike Figgis
Michael "Mike" Figgis is an English film director, writer, and composer.-Personal life:Figgis was born in Carlisle, England and grew up in Africa. Figgis for several years had a relationship with the actress Saffron Burrows and cast her in several films...
, David Byrne
David Byrne (musician)
David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
, Carol Beckwith and Maira Kalman
Maira Kalman
Maira Kalman, born in 1949, is an American illustrator, author, artist, and designer. Born in Tel Aviv, Kalman came to New York City with her family at age 4. She attended the High School of Music and Art, now LaGuardia High School....
.
In 2006 Owerko traveled to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
as part of Dr. Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey Sachs
Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments in the...
’ "Millennium Promise" initiative, documenting the lives of the Lau people of Sauri, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Current initiatives range from the multi-media exhibition "Faces of Poverty Project", to an art installation of large-scale portraits of the Samburu Warrior tribe, as well as a book on vintage consumer electronics.
Lyle shot the cover photograph of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
on September 11, 2001. In 2005 the American Society of Magazine Editors
American Society of Magazine Editors
The American Society of Magazine Editors is an industry trade group for editors of magazines published in the United States. The group advocates on behalf of member organizations with respect to First Amendment issues, and serves as a networking hub for editors and other industry employees...
ranked it as one of the 40 most important magazine covers in the last 40 years. Further acknowledgment for Owerko’s work has come from the New York and German Art Directors Club, the http://designarchives.aiga.org/entry.cfm/eid_792 AIGA], American Photography, Print Magazine
Print (magazine)
The publication, Print, A Quarterly Journal of the Graphic Arts, was a limited edition quarterly periodical begun in 1940 and continued under different names up to the present day as Print, a bimonthly American magazine about visual culture and design.In its current format, Print documents and...
, Step inside Design, The Type Directors Club
Type Directors Club
The Type Directors Club is an international organization for those devoted to excellence in typography in all its forms. Created in 1946, the organization’s mission is to raise the standards of typography and related fields within the graphic arts. The TDC supports research and education, and...
, The One Club
The One Club
Founded in New York City as The One Club for Art & Copy, The One Club produces three annual award competitions: One Show, One Show Design, and One Show Interactive...
, New York Festivals, Communication Arts, The Royal Photographic Society
Royal Photographic Society
The Royal Photographic Society is the world's oldest national photographic society. It was founded in London, United Kingdom in 1853 as The Photographic Society of London with the objective of promoting the Art and Science of Photography...
, and a Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is a global event for those working in advertising and related fields. The seven-day festival, incorporating the awarding of the Lions awards, is held yearly at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France...
.
Owerko travels extensively around the world each year shooting assignments and personal work. He was raised in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, studied at the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
where he earned a Masters in Science degree in the communication arts program. He resides in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
A portion of Owerko’s personal work as a photographer can be viewed in the self-published book And No Birds Sang, featuring images from September 11th, 2001.