The Emotions of Duane Michals

(Post 1)

Everything is subject for photography, especially the difficult things of our lives: anxiety, childhood hurts, lust, nightmares. The things that cannot be seen are the most significant. They cannot be photographed, only suggested.
-Duane Michals

Before I begin examining the technological side of art and the electric culture that surrounds many of us, I would like to take a quiet moment to examine an under-appreciated photographer I stumbled across. This photographer's name is Duane Michals. He is a conventional photographer, who distinguishes himself through writing and narrative.

Michals physically writes on the majority of his photographs. He may give the piece an awkwardly long title, or he may tell a story that unfolds over a series of photographs. One thing becomes undeniable: Michals tells us what his photographs are about through his writing. Instead of our standing in front of the image, clumsily speculating what certain objects, body language, or compositional choices mean, Michals tells us what the undertones of his images are. I feel that in no way does this subtract from the value of his photos. In no way does it feel inappropriate or forced upon us as the viewer. His words do not analyze or pick apart the aesthetics of his photography, but they explain the look of the subject—whether it is lustful, cautious, or elated.

What makes his images even more powerful is that many of them touch upon emotions that we all have felt at one point or another in our own lives. While one may skip over or dismiss several of his images, it is almost certain that sooner or later, the viewer will stop to reflect: “I have felt that. I understand that look.” The words written on the photograph by Michals only solidify this process, and instead of being left to wonder the artist’s intentions, we are left reflecting on our own life and the idea that we are not alone. That is powerful photography.