Sequential Photography by Duane Michals
I have researched sequential photography by Duane Michals in order to help me understand the details and key elements used in creating sequential photography. I chose two kinds of images that I found very interesting
This set of sequential imagery taken by Duane Michals is called Dr. Heisenberg's Magic Mirror of Uncertainty. In every photo the model is reflected in a different way by the mirror. The reflection shown by the mirror varies in response to the way she looks at it, and this is described as uncertainty.
All of the photographs are distorted in an unnatural way, showing two faces or no face at all. Michals was trying to illustrate Heisenberg's Principle of Uncertainty, and therefore says that uncertainty permits the possibility of everything and anything.
I find this set of pictures very eye-catching because the various reflections of the woman in the mirror attracted my attention from the beggining. In these photographs Michals focused on capturing both the woman's head movements and the mirror's reflection, showing all possible outcomes. The texts given underneath help to provide an understanding behind the message that Michals wants to express, and I think this creates the set of images even more interesting. The photographs show light inside the mirror and are darker behind the model's back, so that the attention is drawn on to the mirror.
I believe this picture is very innovative for that period of time, and it can relate as well to the insecurities and uncertainties women feel infront of the mirror nowadays.
In this second set of sequential photographs, called The Spirit Leaves the Body, Duane Michals shows a human body lying on a bed. The body seems to be dead, and we can see a shadow coming out from the body. The shadow is referred to as the ''spirit'' or ''soul'' of the deceased human being. By taking these photographs, Michals wants to illustrate his belief in the afterlife and how the spirit is immortal. In this case, the body is just a temporary costume.
The majority of the photograph is dark except for the area next to the window. The spotlight was created to show the shadow more clearly. I quite like the photographs and I believe that it was a hard job to create the movement of the shadow and being able to capture it so perfectly. There is a contrast between the body and the shadow because the body has a stronger outline design while the shadow has a very soft and faint outline. In my opinion, the way that Michals expressed the message of the photographs was amazing because he used the correct use of light which was a key feature.
Researching this work has helped me understand that the message of sequential images is very important since it shows the process of an action or thought and is most often referred to everyday ideals. I have learned that detail is very important and that sequential photography should undergo many steps before it can be finalized.
Sources:
- https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/feb/26/duane-michals-best-photograph-french-vogue-quantum-physics-heisenberg
- https://www.fundacionmapfre.org/fundacion/en/exhibitions/historical/2017/photography-duane-michals/
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/294772
This is a good start of your research but can be further developed. Please add your own critical response to this work and discuss what you learnt from looking at this. How does this relate to your own work? Well done on adding the references underneath the images. Please make sure you add a reference list ad the end of your blog post with all the sources you have included.
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