Duane Michals
The Man Who Invented Himself

A film by Camille Guichard | 2012

France
en
en
85'

Duane Michals｜The Man Who Invented Himself

Trailer

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Synopsis

Conceptual art has sometimes been perceived as austere or even disembodied. But the witty and radiant personality of Duane Michals stands in striking contrast to that perception. His sensitive, poetic images are his way of capturing the essence of life itself. For the American photographer, a single photograph is never enough. By using handwritten text or photographic sequences, he pushes the narrative boundaries of the medium. With over sixty years of artistic creation behind him, he is known as one of the major figures in contemporary photography. In this documentary, which mirrors his spirit, Duane Michals invites us into a world that is intimate, introspective, and profoundly free.

What you will find in this film

A key figure in contemporary photography • a sensitive and vibrant conceptual photography • images in the service of storytelling • the art of wit in photography and everyday life • disrupting perspectives • the question of desire • a queer photographer

Keywords

Analogue Photography Experimental & Alternative Photography Creative & Exhibition Photography The Artist at Work

I am a reflection, photographing other reflections, within a reflection. To photograph reality, is to photograph nothing.

Duane Michals Photographer

I call myself an expressionist and by that I mean I’m not just interested in photography , for me the key word is how well do I express myself. I need to use photograph, if I need to write, I couldn’t care less. I am not a purist.

Duane Michals Photographer

I love double exposure, cause I never know what I’m going to get. You’re taking pictures that you can’t see when you take them. You making a « there » that wasn’t « there » when you took the pictures.

Duane Michals Photographer

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Anywhere, Anytime, No Strings Attached

The authors/artists

Camille Guichard

Further exploration

Duane Michals ; Photo Poche ; Actes Sud ; 2008

Duane Michal ; Photo File ; Thames & Hudson ; 1990

The Idiots Delight ; Duane Michals ; Editions Bessard ; 2021

The Adventures of Constantine Cavafy ; Duane Michals ; Twin Palms ; 2007

A lecture by Duane Michals at the Denver Museum

Duane Michals' page on his gallery's website

Duane Michals' page on the ICP's website