Duane Michals

Duane Michals

First Holy Communion by Duane Michals 2012
Born (1932-02-18) February 18, 1932
Nationality American
Occupation Photographer
Years active 1958-
Known for Innovative use of photo-sequences, often incorporating text to examine emotion and philosophy
Notable work Sequences, The journey of the spirit after death, Chance meeting; photographs

Duane Michals (/ˈmaɪkəls/; born February 18, 1932) is an American photographer.[1] Michals's work makes innovative use of photo-sequences, often incorporating text to examine emotion and philosophy.[2]

Education and career

Michals's interest in art "began at age 14 while attending watercolor university classes at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh."[3] In 1953 he received a B.A. from the University of Denver.[4] After two years in the Army, in 1956 he went on to study at the Parsons School of Design with a plan to become a graphic designer; however, he did not complete his studies.[3]

He describes his photographic skills as "completely self-taught."[2] In 1958 while on a holiday in the USSR he discovered an interest in photography.[4] The photographs he made during this trip became his first exhibition held in 1963 at the Underground Gallery in New York City.

For a number of years, Michals was a commercial photographer, working for Esquire and Mademoiselle, and he covered the filming of The Great Gatsby for Vogue (1974).[5] He did not have a studio. Instead, he took portraits of people in their environment, which was a contrast to the method of other photographers at the time, such as Avedon and Irving Penn.

Michals was hired by the government of Mexico to photograph the 1968 Summer Olympics.[5] In 1970 his works were shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.[6] The portraits he took between 1958 and 1988 would later become the basis of his book, Album.

In 1976 Michals received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Michals also produced the art for the album Synchronicity (by The Police) in 1983,[3][5] and Richard Barone's Clouds Over Eden album in 1993.[7]

Artistic influences and impact

Though he has not been involved in gay civil rights, his photography has addressed gay themes.[8][9] In discussing his notion of the artist's relationship to politics and power however, Michals feels ultimately that aspirations are useless:

I feel the political aspirations are impotent. They can never be seen. If they are, it will only be by a limited audience. If one is to act politically, one simply puts down the camera and goes out and does something. I think of someone like Heartfield who ridiculed the Nazis. Who very creatively took great stands. He could have been killed at any moment, he was Jewish, and my God what the guy did. It was extraordinary. You don’t see that now.[10]

Michals cites Balthus, William Blake, Lewis Carroll, Thomas Eakins, René Magritte, and Walt Whitman as influences on his art.[2] In turn, he has influenced photographers such as David Levinthal and Francesca Woodman.[11][12]

He is noted for two innovations in artistic photography developed in the 1960s and 1970s. First, he "[told] a story through a series of photos"[5] as in his 1970 book Sequences. Second, he handwrote text near his photographs, thereby giving information that the image itself could not convey.[5][13]

Exhibitions

Solo

Group

Awards

Personal life

Michals grew up in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and currently lives in New York City.[8] Michals has been in a relationship with his partner for 55 years as of 2015.[8] He was raised Catholic.[17]

Selected books

Film and video

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Duane Michals biography. Grove Art Online, 2003.
  2. 1 2 3 McKenna, Kristine (1993-03-14). "Picture imperfect: for maverick Duane Michals, a photo is worth far less than a thousand words when the questions are about the very meaning of truth". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
  3. 1 2 3 4 School of Visual Arts (2000-09-18 through 2000-10-21). "Masters Series: Duane Michals". Retrieved 2011-06-25. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. 1 2 Shaw, Kurt (2004-11-18). "Pictures of a life". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Phillips, Ian (1999-09-10). "Arts: angels in America". The Independent. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
  6. ↑ Museum of Modern Art (1970-10-07 through 1970-12-06). "Stories By Duane Michals (press release)" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-06-25. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ↑ Barone, Richard (2007). Frontman: surviving the rock star myth. New York: Backbeat Books. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-87930-912-1.
  8. 1 2 3 Murtha, Tara (2008-04-30). "Photographer Duane Michals discusses his gay-themed work". Philadelphia Weekly.
  9. ↑ Provenzano, Jim (2007-07-05). "The poet's eye: photographer Duane Michals visualizes Cavafy poems". Bay Area Reporter.
  10. ↑ Seidner, David."Duane Michaels Interview" BOMB Magazine Summer, 1987. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  11. ↑ Levinthal, David (2000). "Duane Michals". Photo District News.
  12. ↑ Gabhart, Ann (1986). Francesca Woodman, photographic work. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College Museum. p. 54. OCLC 13474131.
  13. 1 2 Smith, Rosalind (December 2003). "Duane Michals: getting to the heart with a wry eye". Shutterbug. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
  14. ↑ Lyons, Nathan (1966). Toward a Social Landscape: Bruce Davidson, Lee Friedlander, Garry Winogrand, Danny Lyons, Duane Michals. New York, NY: Horizon Press. OCLC 542009.
  15. ↑ http://www.dcmooregallery.com/artists/duane-michals
  16. ↑ http://www.rps.org/annual-awards/Honorary-Fellowships
  17. ↑ "Duane Michals". Vimeo. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
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