Duane Michals
Who Am I?
Description of work
“Who am I?” is a black and white photo by Duane Michals.
The background of the photo consists of a bare, open wall that is shadowed
towards the bottom and far left of the picture. Its simplicity attracts
little to nothing of the viewers attention and allows all the attention
to be placed on the two main subjects, a young man and a mirror he is holding.
The viewer sees the man from the chest up, with a focus on his face, which
is staring intently into the mirror. The man’s left arm is stretched
across the table that barley enters the picture at the bottom edge of the
page, his arm is holding the mirror. The arm nicely leads the viewer
back and forth across the composition from the man to the mirror.
The bridge-like arm also equals out the importance of the two subjects
in the picture. The reflection the mirror casts is a bizarre and
surreal image. It takes the man’s face and stretches and contorts
it into two merged reproductions. One that seems to be looking just
as intently back at him or the viewer and another merged with and elongated
eye. The point wear the two eyes merge is a strong focal point in the piece.
The second face in the reflection is peering in the opposite direction
and projecting and entirely different attitude then ether the other reflection
or the man. The is circular in shape and it’s frame seems to capture
the reflection like a microscope or a lens.
With an initial observation of this photo one may only recognize
the bizarre and unique reflection, similar to the reflections of a circus
fun room’s mirrors. I doubt however that Michals was going for the
bizarre or shock value alone. As the title “Who Am I?” suggests the
photo is more about identify and search for one’s self. The photo
can be described as a pocket of reality in it of itself and the reflection
another pocket of reality, a pocket of reality within a pocket of reality.
Some thing similar to a Chinese box that will eventually open to the man’s
sole.
As humans we can never really see ourselves, our eyes only see
out and a mirror is a reversed version of ourselves. There is an
invisible and intangible world within all of us. The photo is an
exploration into this world. One defines themselves daily and projects
their person through their body. Society never sees this inner world,
only the projection the person chooses to show. The shadowed background
and deep blacks help to present the ideas of known and unknown to the viewer,
while the strong contrast exaggerates the difference of the three different
identities in the photo. Stereotypes, ignorance and labels can muddle
up this projection or a person can be sending the wrong signals.
As much as the man in the photo is trying to see his identify inside he
is also trying to see how others see him or how he projects himself in
society. The question might also be “Is This Who I Am?”
Contextual Research Questions
#1 Why might Duane Michals be concerned with his identity and put it into question?
#2 How important is Duane Michals acceptance by others?
#3 There seems to be three versions of the man in the photo, does Michals
have an alter ego or does he reinvent himself?
#4 The image seems somewhat surreal, any influences?
#5 Was he influenced or effected by his peers?
Answers to Contextual Questions
Question #1
Duane Michals was born in Micheesport, Pennsylvania into a working
class environment, where his father was a steelworker and his mother a
housekeeper. Michals started photography in 1958 on a three weeks
visit to Russia. He earned his living shortly there after with commercial
photography but was entirely self taught. The majority of his work
was about looking inside, not just the surface. He referred to himself
and his work subjects as a box of which most artists were afraid or didn’t
pay enough attention to open. His work shows he found it necessary to look
past the surface and open the box both with himself and in life.
In one of his works he depicts himself sadly contemplating the
son he never had, revealing a loss for a reflected image of himself that
could have preserved a piece of his identify. A quote from
Michals “That’s what this whole evolutionary journey has been about, with
no end insight, and that’s why it’s so exciting because I have to define
myself.”
Question #2
Michals says he was never concerned about acceptance but much of his
work dealt with himself and peoples perception. However, he also
could be professing how he did not care how other viewed him. Ether
way, he was very aware that people were looking and perceiving him.
Michals may have been seen as an outsider due to his lack of formal training
but he considers this a blessing as he redefines the medium. Even when
not accepted as an artist, his passion for his work keep him producing.
Question #3
Through out Michals work there has been investigations of shedding
and adoption of various identities. He believes people can find understanding
of themselves through an alter ego. Duane Michals was named after
his mother’s employer’s son and the family name was rendered into English
from Slovak. This made his acutely adhere of his difference to others.
(This also relates to questions #1 and #2) Michals conjured
up a character called Stefan Mihal who appeared in some of his works and
even published one of his books.
Question #4
Michals received a BA from the University of Denver in 1953.
While there and shortly after graduating, he developed a strong interest
in Surrealist masters like, Magritte, De Chiro and Balthus. The Surrealists
strive for the unconscious, which they revered as untainted and pure.
The unconscious can be connected to identity and the question “Who Am I?”
Question #5
Michals loved to include other artist in his works. The Joseph
Cornell photo in particular, is a siloquet of Cornell in front of a window.
Cornell was famous for his compartmentalized box creations that strung
together tiny bits of life’s experiences to create a much broader emotion
insight. This is very similar to the way I described Michals' piece
as a Chinese box to the sole. It is obvious they had more in common
then friendship and shared common themes in their work.
Layers of meaning and message
Michals’ photo is an identity-based piece. It begs the viewer to question and search him or herself to find their identity. It also wants the viewer to consider how others may perceive themselves or how their persona affects how they are interpreted in society. If a person can understand both who they are and how others see them, they can then consider changes or readjustments of their projection of self, in order to better their life in society. We rarely see ourselves the way others do not only because our eyes only look out but we may internalize aspects of our identity. A person needs to realize and understand how and what they express publicly. We have all the facts in our own heads but others know nothing but what they are presented with. On top of that this interpretation of your identity by others can be blocked and confused by stereotypes and labels. The photo urges the viewer to push past these barriers of stereotypes to allow them to be seen and to take the time to see others.
Why this is an important artwork:
This work should force the students to question their own and others’ persona in relation to their identity. The students should ask the question “Who Am I?” in relation to others and society. The photo will bring up the obstacles of stereotypes and labels that are subjected onto the students. The artwork will inspirer the students to look for appropriate public expression. The pieces is an interesting and powerful piece that that the students should find worth investigating. The work can help open some of the Chinese boxes into the identity of the students so they can then present it as who they are.