Sequences: A Mini-Essay on Duane Michals

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M I C H A L S

A mini-thesis by: Jayme Miller-DeLorenzo Bachelor of Communication Design History of Contemporary Art A.A. 2020-21 Professors: Paolo Castelli Sergio Giusti

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INTRODUCTION

Duane Michals is an American photographer best known for his photo sequences. A photo sequence is defined as a group of photographs that work together and that are intended to be viewed as a whole.1 Each image within a sequence is fundamental to the comprehension of the work and viewing an image individually would mean interpreting something completely different from the photographer’s original concept; The whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts.

When Michals began to make significant strides in the field of photography in the 1960s, photojournalism was dominating the scene.2 However, rather than going out into the world to document physical reality, he was instead among the first to use photography as a tool for introspection and as a way of shining a light on that which can’t be seen.3 “I paid more attention to my mind rather than to my eyes,” he explains. “Everything you see is in your head”.4 2

During this time he also began experimenting with his first photo sequences. “I grew up in an era where the only option was to do a still photograph,” he reflects, “I was frustrated with the still photograph”.4 His sequences consist of highly imaginative, staged photographs that together allow him to tell a story, often dealing with metaphysical themes regarding the human experience such as mortality, spirituality, eroticism and temporality. “I use photography to help me explain my experience to myself,” he tells.5 Other common elements of Michals’ work include double exposure, long exposure, motion blur and most notably, the incorporation of handwritten text directly onto the borders of his photos.6 The interconnectivity of his sequences in combination with these elements contribute to the creation of very unique and interesting bodies of work, making him one of the most successful and innovative photographers of his time.

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- MICHALS, 2019

SEQUENCES: TIME DEPENDENT

Time dependent sequences consist of images in a predetermined order, telling a story that unfolds over a set period of time. The order cannot be changed otherwise the narrative of the story will be disrupted. In Chance Meeting, for example, we observe the progression of a short encounter between two men as they pass each other on a side street, exchanging glances singly. The encounter seems loaded with significance and the viewer is left to contemplate what the underlying relationship may be between the men, if any.

Michals uses subtlety to hint at how the sequence should be interpreted; The title, the facial expressions, the surroundings etc. all provide subtle messages to the viewer. For this sequence, Michals embodies the role of a director; The characters move in and out of the frame just like in a movie scene and the images are pieced together in a similar way to a storyboard.

With only six images, he is able to create a detailed and captivating story to the same extent as a movie would, testifying to essentiality of his work.

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SEQUENCES: SCENE DEPENDENT

Just like time dependent sequences, those that are scene dependent also require a defined order that directs the narrative, only this time it isn’t the progression of time that determines the order but the scene. One of Michals’ most well known works, Things are Queer, falls into this category. It starts and ends with a bathroom, but in-between the unexpected unfolds, leading the viewers on a surprising visual journey through the changing scenes. Each image adds information to the previous one, almost always contradicting it.

“Contradicting reality is a great gift or weapon that photographers have with peoples’ perception. My gift is to surprise you.”4 So if we see a bathroom in the first image, in the second image our perspective is shifted and we come to understand that the bathroom is not a regular bathroom but a miniature one and the story continues in this way, growing and changing each time.

With this type of sequence, Michals playfully encourages the viewer to question what reality really is.

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SEQUENCES: INDEPENDENT

Independent sequences on the other hand are not reliant on any particular order. Nonetheless, it is useful to mention that all images within the sequence make a necessary contribution to the concept of the work.

One example of this is Heisenberg’s Magic Mirror of Uncertainty. In this sequence, Michals creates a narrative of a young woman, Odette, looking at highly distorted reflections of herself in a mirror. As Michals notes, “Odette can never be sure with any certainty which reflection of herself she will see in the mirror.”

The sequence beautifully and metaphorically illustrates the otherwise ‘un-photographable’ principle of quantum physics called Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. Michals chooses to showcase the concept via a sequence of photographs to highlight how even the slightest movement of Odette produces a completely different reflection.

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Another great example is Andy x 4, a sequence of four close ups of Andy Warhol’s head. The images on their own don’t provide enough information about the subject but with the four images put together, the viewer will likely recognise him.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Forbes, T. 2017. Photo Assignment #6 :: Photo Sequences. The Art of Photography. Accessed April 2021 at: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=xnC8SGWlE1w

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DC Moore Gallery. 2021. Duane Michals: Biography. Accessed April 2021 at: http://origin.www.dcmooregallery.com/artists/duane-michals

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Reznik, E. 2014. Interview: Duane Michals on 50 Years of Sequences and Staging Photos. Popular Photography. Accessed April 2021 at: https://www.popphoto.com/american-photo/interview-duane-michals-50-years-sequences-and-staging-photos/

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The Morgan Library & Museum. 2019. Illusions of the Photographer: Duane Michals at the Morgan. Accessed April 2021 at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVFMOO_q1j4

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Artnet. 2021. Duane Michals: Artwork. Accessed April 2021 at: http://www.artnet.com/artists/duane-michals/

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Dansky, S. 2019. How to Read Duane Michals’ Photos. The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. Accessed April 2021 at: https://glreview.org/article/how-to-read-duane-michals-photos/

PHOTO INDEX

Cover, 1, 4, 8, 12, Back

Michals D., 1978, I Build a Pyramid, self portrait sequence of six photographs

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Michals D., 2000, I Think About Thinking, self portrait

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Michals D., 1970, Chance Meeting, sequence of six photographs

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Michals D., 1973, Things Are Queer, sequence of nine photographs

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Michals D., 1973, Things Are Queer, photograph number four of a sequence of nine

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Michals D., 1998, Dr Heisenberg’s Magic Mirror of Uncertainty, photograph number two of a sequence of six

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Michals D., 1998, Dr Heisenberg’s Magic Mirror of Uncertainty, sequence of six photographs

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Michals D., 1980, Andy x 4, sequence of four portrait photographs

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