# Allan Amato > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Allan_Amato > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Allan_Amato.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Amato > Source revision: 1336414344 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American photographer This article may incorporate text from a large language model, which is prohibited in Wikipedia articles. It may include hallucinated information, copyright violations, claims not verified in cited sources, original research, or fictitious references. Any such material should be removed. (October 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "Allan Amato" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Allan Amato Allan Amato at San Diego Comic-Con, 2015 Born (1974-07-18) July 18, 1974 (age 51) Harare, Zimbabwe Known for Photography Awards See article Website allanamato.com **Allan Amato** (born July 18, 1974) is an [American](/source/Americans) [portrait](/source/Portrait) photographer, author, and film director. ## Early life and education Amato was born in Harare, Zimbabwe and emigrated to the United States at age 13 due to political instability. He initially worked in advertising and bartending in New Orleans. ## Career After [Hurricane Katrina](/source/Hurricane_Katrina) in 2005, Amato relocated to Houston, Texas, where he began pursuing photography professionally.[1] He later moved to Los Angeles and began photographing artists, writers, and creatives, including [Amanda Palmer](/source/Amanda_Palmer), [Kevin Smith](/source/Kevin_Smith), and [Terry Gilliam](/source/Terry_Gilliam). In 2012, Amato began the [Temple of Art](/source/Temple_of_Art) project, originally conceived as a gallery show in Los Angeles, which expanded into a book and then a feature-length documentary, co-created with filmmaker [Olga Nunes](/source/Olga_Nunes).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The documentary profiles artists including [Grant Morrison](/source/Grant_Morrison), [Bill Sienkiewicz](/source/Bill_Sienkiewicz), [Brian Thies](/source/Brian_Thies), [Barron Storey](/source/Barron_Storey), [Amanda Palmer](/source/Amanda_Palmer), [David Mack](/source/David_W._Mack), [Dave McKean](/source/Dave_McKean), and others, discussing their creative process and philosophies.[2][3] The film premiered in 2018.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Amato's book *Slip: Naked in Your Own Words* (Baby Tattoo Books, 2016) features sixty nude portraits and interviews, exploring themes of nudity and societal shame.[4] In interviews and podcasts, Amato has emphasized fostering a safe, collaborative environment for subjects, encouraging vulnerability and authentic self-expression.[5] He has contributed as a producer and photographer to other documentary and multimedia projects, such as *The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?* (2015).[6] In addition to *Temple of Art* and *Slip*, Amato has published and contributed to other works, including *Seraph* and the *Punch* series, which explore identity and the human form.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## Style and philosophy Amato's photography explores vulnerability, identity, and the human experience. His subjects are often portrayed in candid or nude states, paired with narratives that challenge cultural taboos around the body and personal history.[7] ## Media appearances Amato has discussed his life and work on podcasts such as *Cutting For Sign*.[5] ## Selected works ### Film credits - *Temple of Art* (2018) – co-creator, co-director (with [Olga Nunes](/source/Olga_Nunes)) - *The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?* (2015) – supervising producer ### Book credits - *Slip: Naked In Your Own Words* – photographer/author (Baby Tattoo Books, 2016) - *Temple of Art* – photographer/author (Baby Tattoo Books, 2014)[8] - *Seraph* (Baby Tattoo Books, 2016) - *Punch, Vol. 1* and *Punch, Vol. 2* (contributor) ## Recognition - In 2016, Amato was nominated for the APN AltPorn Awards for Best Alternative Erotica Photographer of 2015.[9] ## Further reading - Dooley, Michael (December 30, 2015). ["Beyond the Graphic Novel: Mixed-Media Photo Portraits of Comics Artists"](http://www.printmag.com/comics-and-animation/graphic-novel-mixed-media-temple-of-art/). *Print*. Retrieved 2024-06-07. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Amato, Allan. ["About"](https://allanamato.com/about). *allanamato.com*. Retrieved 2024-06-07. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Comic-Con 2014: 10 Must-See Comic Panels"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/comic-con-2014-10-see-718450). *The Hollywood Reporter*. 7 July 2014. Retrieved 2024-06-07. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Dooley, Michael (December 30, 2015). ["Beyond the Graphic Novel: Mixed-Media Photo Portraits of Comics Artists"](http://www.printmag.com/comics-and-animation/graphic-novel-mixed-media-temple-of-art/). *Print*. Retrieved 2024-06-07. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Frank, Priscilla (6 December 2017). ["Can You Spot The Nude? (NSFW)"](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emma-hack_n_5462125). *HuffPost*. Retrieved 2023-04-17. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_5-1) ["Allan Amato — Photographer and Filmmaker"](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2PX0lLxAETZSHCIGnuH9uF). *Cutting For Sign Podcast* (Podcast). 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2024-06-07. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Kevin Smith, Tim Burton, and the Unmade Superman Movie"](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/07/death-of-superman-lives-what-happened-documentary). *Vanity Fair*. July 9, 2015. Retrieved 2024-06-07. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["What Matters: Allan Amato on his relentless optimism and learning how to savor a victory"](https://www.printmag.com/what-matters/what-matters-allan-amato-on-his-relentless-optimism-and-learning-how-to-savor-a-victory/). *Printmag*. 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2024-06-07. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["In "Temple of Art," Allan Amato Photographed Artists, Who Then Got to Mess With the Picture"](http://www.laweekly.com/arts/in-temple-of-art-allan-amato-photographed-artists-who-then-got-to-mess-with-the-picture-5273765). *LA Weekly*. December 9, 2014. Retrieved 2024-06-07. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Alt Nominations 2016"](http://altporn.net/news/2016/05/27/altporn-awards-2016-best-alternative-erotica-photographer-nominees/). altporn. Retrieved 2016-05-17. ## External links - [Official website](http://allanamato.com) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Allan Amato](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Amato) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Amato?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.