Photography critic Arthur Lubow reflects on his long-running conversations with Duane Michals, the influential American photographer known for his witty, philosophical, and often metaphysical approach to image-making. The article highlights Michals's courage in challenging conventional photography through narrative sequences, text-image combinations, and his distinctive personal style.
This retrospective matters because Michals, now in his 90s, represents a pivotal figure who expanded the boundaries of photography as a fine art medium. His work anticipated contemporary trends in conceptual and storytelling photography, and his unflinching honesty about art and life continues to inspire younger generations of artists.