Duane Michals

Doing a little more research on the use of text in photography, and Duane Michals’ work re-surfaced. I think that the last time I viewed his work was when I studied it in high school, but the aesthetic (and humour) is still strong. I like the fact that they are handwritten, and the handwriting is not perfect. The negative space surrounding the photographs is also very important, and becomes part of the work as a whole. I like the way that the writing feels personal but quirky, like it is quite honest and not pretentious. 

I found these images in the online collection of the Carnegie Museum of Art.

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(1) Duane Michals, This Photograph is My Proof, 1967

(2) Duane Michals, There Are Things Here Not Seen in This Photograph, 1977.

(3) Duane Michals, Who is Sidney Sherman?, 2000.

(4) Duane Michals, A Letter From My Father, 1960-1975

(5) Duane Michals, Necessary Things for Making Magic, 1989

(6) Duane Michals, A Duane Michals Photograph of a Sherrie Levine Photograph of a Walker Evans Photograph, 2001.

(7) Carnegie Museum of Art. Collection. viewed 30 April 2020, <https://collection.cmoa.org/?creator=Duane%20Michals&page=3&perPage=50>