Duane Michals
Experimental, poetic, introspective. Duane Michals (McKeesport, 1932) is one of the most innovative and influential photographers in contemporary photography thanks to his unique approach that goes beyond just immortalizing reality. His profoundly spiritual work focuses on capturing what cannot be seen: the emotional and philosophic essence of what we are. To do so, he explores fundamental aspects of human experience like identity, time, and the intangible.
His work is not always limited to a single image but instead plays with sequences that tell complete stories, while also inviting spectators to interpret and immerse themselves in these visual spaces laden with sensations.
One hallmark of his style is the use of text within some of his photographic compositions. Instead of limiting the texts to just accompanying the images, Michals’s words are integrated into them in a poetic, reflective way, adding layers of meaning.
Through almost 150 pieces, many of them part of sequences, this exhibition surveys his artistic career, from his earliest images to some of his latest shots created in 2025. The selection of works varies widely, with many of them grouped into his celebrated photographic series, often accompanied by his handwritten texts, a hallmark of his style. The exhibition also includes portraits of artists like Joseph Cornell, Andy Warhol, and Marcel Duchamp, key figures who left a major mark on Michals’s career, along with autobiographical self-portraits of the artist himself.
Thus, the show enables spectators to not only explore the evolution of Michals’s style but also understand the impact of his narrative approach on contemporary photography. His ability to capture the intangible, the emotional, and the surrealistic makes him a true visual narrator whose work continues to push the boundaries of traditional photography.