TRANSLUCENCE…

(Not To Be Confused with Transparency)

When I was a young person first attracted to photography, my early heroes were Henri Cartier-Bresson and Ansel Adams. Cartier-Bresson for his images of sublime composition and beauty created in the spontaneous blink of an eye with his 35mm camera that remain beyond compare. Adams for his studied artful work in nature created with an enormous 8x10 camera and then masterfully rendered in the lab via his exacting printing techniques.

At some point, I cannot remember exactly when, what caught my eye was work by a photographer named Duane Michals. His approach to the medium was not about spontaneously recording life or about crafted technique. In fact, on the surface, his imagery is very simply and straightforwardly executed. Yet Michals stood out for a very different approach. He concentrated on inner narrative, dream, and an off-balance aesthetic. His was an imaginary, created world based on ideas. And, as such, he also introduced an element that, as far as I know, was quite unique: not only did he compose multiple-image sequences but he wrote shorts scripts in the margins that amplified even as they contextualized the images.

I was always so fascinated by this approach. I never forgot it.

As time and technology have marched inexorably on, the very nature of photography and the type of photographers which originally drew me to it have entirely evaporated. For starters, everyone is now a photographer. As that became so, I began to get bored with the medium. It wasn’t that there weren’t incredibly brilliant images being ‘made’. But digitalization and the sheer quantity of images resulted in everything displaying a sense of sameness. No doubt, another factor is that the people commissioning, editing, retouching and ‘directing’ images were motivated more by commercial interests.

Inevitably, there came a time when I had to wonder how was I to distinguish my work. How could I individually express who I am and what I wanted to communicate with “photography” having become so inadequate? Fortunately, as is said: when one door closes another opens. It is the impact of Duane Michals approach along with other modern masters such as Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha and even Andy Warhol, who all frequently incorporated photographic imagery into their work, that provided me with inspiration. Their work shown a light on a new/old path to pursue that reinvigorated my interest and passion. It led me to venture into the realm of mixed-media. None of this is to say that “straight” or traditional photography doesn’t still hold a place in my world - it does. Yet there is now another avenue wherein an image I may create becomes “just the beginning”. What I particularly enjoy about this is that the elements of texture and space are brought back into the equation. This makes the possibilities for exhibition and the aura of “one of a kind” appealing again. Yes, online images are wonderful but there is nothing like seeing objects in real time and in real space to get a sense of an artist’s actual individuality and presence, the aura, sharing the space with you.

So, yes, time for some of my work to venture again out into the real world. If you or someone you know have ideas about appropriate gallery spaces please let me know! I’m on the hunt. And thanks again to Duane Michals for showing me a different way to see and think about photography. Standing on the shoulders of Giants.

Coda 1: Coincidentally, after titling this piece I came across a fascinating article on Michals in ArtForum entitled “The Self as Apparition”.

Coda 2: I had the pleasure of meeting Duane years ago when he was acknowledged into the Hall of Fame of the Art Directors Club. He was kind enough to sign my copy of his book “The Portraits of Duane Michals” that I’d brought along. His signature was how I learned of his wonderful sense of humor.

Coda 3: This is a link to my favorite Michals image - a photo of bittersweet simplicity that cuts through the heart. It’s entitled “This Photography Is My Proof”