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The friendship Michal Horevaj has with Mark Holthusen is brimming with creative histories and shared passions for fine art. Having met over some celebratory cake and pints at a mutual friend's birthday party over 15 years ago, Michal and Mark realized they had similar creative interests, and stayed in touch over the years as they pursued their crafts independently. In the late 1990s, they started their version of a retouching company together called Pixel Refinery, Chapter 1. "Back then, there weren't that many photographers involved in the retouching world," says Michal, "so we took a chance, and learned a lot by owning our own business." Eventually they folded the company, and the move more or less cemented Michal's role as an independent artisan retoucher, and Mark's as a photographer.
As time and friendship went on, they began to appreciate retouching as much more than a means to an end, and together they demystified the world of photography and how it relates to the art of retouching. And despite their original vision not taking shape, Michal and Mark spent so much time partnering on projects that they developed a kind of symbiotic shorthand that's become a natural fit for the two of them and their objectives. Now they both have fine art, photography, and retouching backgrounds, own their own businesses, and understand each other's methods. It doesn't just work. It works well.
Their first six-part Kohler campaign (their second is still in production) was another perfect job for Michal and Mark, as they seamlessly stepped into the rhythm of their workflow. Kohler's "The Way I See It" campaign celebrates creativity by letting the photographer lead the way with the vision and even giving them credit in the ads. "Kohler is great with creative freedom," explains Michal, "and the agency was open to ideas that are willing to go to the edge and make the leap."
Ultimately, the relationship between Michal and Mark is one that goes well beyond a support role to the true mastering of creative collaboration— regardless of the roles they play. The personal passions of the Yin and Yang of the retouching and photography world end up being mutually beneficial to both artists, not to mention the Kohler brand, the agency, and the viewing public.
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