Duane Michals
Encyclopedia
Duane Michals (ˈmaɪkəls, born February 18, 1932) is an American
photographer. Michals' work makes innovative use of photo-sequences, often incorporating text to examine emotion and philosophy.
[ Carnegie Museum of Art
] in Pittsburgh." In 1953 he received a B.A. from the University of Denver
. After two years in the Army, in 1956 he went on to study at the Parsons School of Design with a plan to becoming a graphic designer; however, he did not complete his studies.
He describes his photographic skills as "completely self-taught." In 1958 while on a holiday in the USSR he discovered an interest in photography. 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). 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
. In 1970 his works were shown at the Museum of Modern Art
in New York. 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, and Richard Barone
's Clouds Over Eden album in 1993.
, William Blake
, Lewis Carroll
, Thomas Eakins
, René Magritte
, and Walt Whitman
as influences on his art. In turn, he has influenced photographers such as David Levinthal
and Francesca Woodman
.
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" as in his 1970 book Sequences. Second, he handwrote text near his photographs, thereby giving information that the image itself could not convey.
, and currently lives in New York City. Michals has been in a relationship with his partner for 51 years as of 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
photographer. Michals' work makes innovative use of photo-sequences, often incorporating text to examine emotion and philosophy.
Education and career
Michals' interest in art "began at age 14 while attending watercolor university classes at the Carnegie InstituteCarnegie Museum of Art
The Carnegie Museum of Art, located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an art museum founded in 1895 by the Pittsburgh-based industrialist Andrew Carnegie...
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. After two years in the Army, in 1956 he went on to study at the Parsons School of Design with a plan to becoming a graphic designer; however, he did not complete his studies.
He describes his photographic skills as "completely self-taught." In 1958 while on a holiday in the USSR he discovered an interest in photography. The photographs he made during this trip became his first exhibition held in 1963 at the Underground Gallery 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...
.
For a number of years, Michals was a commercial photographer, working for Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
and Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle (magazine)
Mademoiselle was an influential women's magazine first published in 1935 by Street and Smith and later acquired by Condé Nast Publications....
, and he covered the filming of The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby (1974 film)
The Great Gatsby is a 1974 romantic drama film distributed by Newdon Productions and Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Jack Clayton and produced by David Merrick, from a screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola based on F...
for Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
(1974). 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
Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon was an American photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century."-Photography career:Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish Russian...
and Irving Penn
Irving Penn
Irving Penn was an American photographer known for his portraiture and fashion photography.-Early career:Irving Penn studied under Alexey Brodovitch at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art from which he was graduated in 1938. Penn's drawings were published by Harper's Bazaar and he...
.
Michals was hired by the government of Mexico to photograph the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
. In 1970 his works were shown at the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York. 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
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
. Michals also produced the art for the album Synchronicity (by The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
) in 1983, and Richard Barone
Richard Barone
Richard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida who gained attention as frontman for The Bongos. He works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, releases albums as a solo artist, tours, and has created major concert events at Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl and New York's...
's Clouds Over Eden album in 1993.
Artistic influences and impact
Though he has not been involved in gay civil rights, his photography has addressed gay themes. Michals cites BalthusBalthus
Balthasar Klossowski de Rola , best known as Balthus, was an esteemed but controversial Polish-French modern artist....
, William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
, Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
, Thomas Eakins
Thomas Eakins
Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins was an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts educator...
, René Magritte
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
, and Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
as influences on his art. In turn, he has influenced photographers such as David Levinthal
David Levinthal
David Levinthal is a photographer who lives and works in New York.-Biography:David Levinthal received a Scientiæ Magister in Management Science from the MIT Sloan School of Management , an MFA in Photography from Yale University , and a BA in Studio Art from Stanford University...
and Francesca Woodman
Francesca Woodman
Francesca Woodman was an American photographer best known for her black and white pictures featuring herself and female models. Many of her photographs show young women who are nude, who are blurred , who are merging with their surroundings, or whose faces are obscured...
.
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" as in his 1970 book Sequences. Second, he handwrote text near his photographs, thereby giving information that the image itself could not convey.
Exhibitions
- 2009: Exposed at Les Rencontres d'Arles, France, screening of his work at Théâtre Antique d'Arles.
Awards
- Gold medal for photography, National Arts ClubNational Arts ClubThe National Arts Club is a private club in Gramercy Park, New York City, New York, USA. It was founded in 1898 to "stimulate, foster, and promote public interest in the arts and to educate the American people in the fine arts". Since 1906 the organization has occupied the Samuel J...
, 1994. - Masters Series Award, School of Visual ArtsSchool of Visual ArtsThe School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
, 2000.
Personal life
Michals grew up in McKeesport, PennsylvaniaMcKeesport, Pennsylvania
McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the United States; it is located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 19,731 at the 2010 census...
, and currently lives in New York City. Michals has been in a relationship with his partner for 51 years as of 2011.
Selected books
- Michals, Duane. Sequences. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1970.
- Michals, Duane. The journey of the spirit after death. New York: Winter House, 1971. ISBN 0878060251
- Michals, Duane. Chance meeting; photographs. Köln: A. & J. Wilde, 1973.
- Michals, Duane. Take one and see Mt. FujiyamaMount Fujiis the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
, and other stories. Rochester, NY: distributed by Light Impressions, 1976. ISBN 091661400X - Michals, Duane. Real dreams: photostories. Danbury, NH: Addison House, 1976. ISBN 0891690050
- Michals, Duane. Merveilles d'Egypt. Paris: Denoël-Filipacchi, 1978.
- Michals, Duane, and Constantine CavafyConstantine P. CavafyConstantine P. Cavafy, also known as Konstantin or Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis, or Kavaphes was a renowned Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant...
. Homage to Cavafy. Danbury, NH: Addison House, 1978. ISBN 0891690190 - Michals, Duane. A visit with Magritte. Providence, RI: Matrix, 1981. ISBN 0936554053
- Michals, Duane. Duane Michals. London: Thames and Hudson, 1983. ISBN 0500410712
- Michals, Duane, and Marco Livingstone. Duane Michals: photographs, sequences, texts, 1958-1984. Oxford: Museum of Modern Art, 1984. ISBN 0905836464
- Michals, Duane. Sleep and dream. New York: Lustrum Press, 1984. ISBN 0912810467
- Michals, Duane. Duane Michals. New York: Pantheon Books; Paris: Centre National de la Photographie, 1986. ISBN 0394744462
- Michals, Duane. Album: the portraits of Duane Michals, 1958-1988. Pasadena, CA: Twelvetrees Press, 1988. ISBN 0942642368
- Michals, Duane, and Max KozloffMax KozloffMax Kozloff is an American Art Historian, art critic of modern art and photographer. He has been art editor at The Nation, and Executive Editor of Artforum...
. Now becoming then. Altadena, CA: Twin Palms, 1990. ISBN 0944092128 - Michals, Duane. Eros & Thanatos. Santa Fe, NM: Twin Palms, 1992. ISBN 0944092209
- Salter, JamesJames SalterJames Salter is an American novelist and short-story writer. Once a career officer and pilot in the United States Air Force, he abandoned the military profession in 1957 after successful publication of his first novel, The Hunters.After a brief career at film writing and film directing, Salter...
, and Duane Michals. Still such. New York: W. Drenttel, 1992. ISBN 0962522422 - Michals, Duane. Salute, Walt WhitmanWalt WhitmanWalter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
. Santa Fe, NM: Twin Palms, 1996. ISBN 0944092349 - Michals, Duane, and Marco Livingstone. The essential Duane Michals. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 1997. ISBN 0821224638
- Michals, Duane. Questions without answers. Santa Fe, NM: Twin Palms, 2001. ISBN 0944092861
- Michals, Duane. The house I once called home: a photographic memoir with verse. London: Enitharmon Editions, 2003. ISBN 1900564734
- Michals, Duane. Foto follies: how photography lost its virginity on the way to the bank. Göttingen: Steidl, 2006. ISBN 3865212751
- Michals, Duane, and Joel GreyJoel GreyJoel Grey is an American stage and screen actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in both the stage and film adaptation of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe Award...
. The adventures of Constantine Cavafy. Santa Fe, NM: Twin Palms, 2007. ISBN 9781931885546 - Michals, Duane. Duane Michals. London: Thames & Hudson, 2008. ISBN 9780500410714
Film and video
- Howard, Edgar B., and Theodore R. Haimes. Duane Michals (1939-1997). NY: Checkerboard Film Foundation, 1978. (DVD, 14 minutes, B&W/color.)
- Diamonstein, Barbaralee. Visions and Images: Duane Michals (American Photographers on Photography). American Broadcasting Companies, 1981. (Video, 29 minutes, B&W/color.)
External links
- Fahey/Klein Gallery. Duane Michals. Personal page. Portfolio of 39 images.
- Weinberg, Jonathan. "Things are queer." Originally published in Art Journal, December 22, 1996.
- Duane Michals. Photo District News, PDN Legends Online, 1998.
- Cotter, James A. Duane Michals. photo insider, April–June 1999.
- Vettese, John. Duane Michals. Temple University page, 2001.
- Smith, Rosalind. Duane Michals: getting to the heart with a wry eye. Shutterbug, December 2003.
- Svede, Mark Allen. Michals, Duane (b. 1932). glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture, February 7, 2004.
- 2004 Hall of fame: Duane Michals. New York: Art Directors Club, 2004.
- Pace/MacGillPeter MacGillPeter MacGill is "one of the most important contemporary photographic gallerists". In 2005, he was listed as the 15th most important person in photography by American Photo magazine...
Gallery. Duane Michals. c. 2008.