Duane Michals"When people ask me what I am, I tell them I'm the artist formally known as a photographer," says Michals

Duane Michals

"I am an expressionist and by that I mean I'm not a photographer or a writer or a painter or a tap dancer, but rather someone who expresses himself according to his needs."

Duane Michals

• Duane Michals is an American photographer born February,1932.

• Michals is largely self-taught and his work makes innovative use of photo-sequences, often incorporating text to examine emotion and philosophy.

• Duane Michals planned on becoming a graphic designer, however he didn’t complete his studies and in 1958 whilst on holiday in the soviet union he discovered his interest of photography.

• The pictures taken whilst he was on holiday become his first exhibition in NewYork 1963. after this he worked for a number of years in commercial photography

"Trust that little voice in your head that says Wouldn't it be interesting

if... - Duane Michals

And then do it!"

• Michals work makes innovative use of photo sequences.

• Often incorporates text to examine emotion and philosophy.

• His sequences of shots usually ran with a narrative theme. - this became Michals means of making sense of issues such as desire, time, youth and death.

Photo Techniques

• Michals work is somewhat surreal, dreamlike and often with a very ‘ghostly’ look about them.

• His work often links to certain themes like Death - where he tries to capture the state of mind of the subject (model).

• This image is a good example of A death image with the person possibly turning into a ghostly figure or beginning their transportation to Heaven.