Michals

I really enjoyed Duane Michals’ compilation of photomontage pieces for several different reasons. I was really intrigued by the notion that reduced opacity links to subjective seeing, mainly because it worked for me when I looked at the pieces. I would look at a photo-manipulated piece and initially see one thing, for instance a face, and then I would look deeper into the photo and find that there was much more to see, such as a tree or broken glass. Reducing the opacity in the pieces of art was a unique additive that I believe was used to exemplify different aspects and notions of the pieces in different ways or to show that there is deeper meaning that what is initially seen on the surface.

I also found the idea that perspectival space links to the representation of objects in a world like “our” own in the sense that since there are so many different things, objects, and dimensions occurring in the same photomontage piece there are so many different interpretations and perspectives based on “our” (all different people’s) preconceived visions and ideas of the world. I believe that this form of art and these ideals of this specific artwork is astonishing because the artwork should mean whatever the viewer thinks, which is exactly what photomontage evokes.

The piece of artwork that I chose is one by Duane Michals and it depicts a picture of an old man with a blown-up, faded picture of the same man with a slightly different facial expression. When I first saw the piece I saw the old man standing in the background and then I saw the blown-up faded picture of the old man and then proceeded to see where the setting was. After looking at the piece, I delved further into it and saw the many possible different meanings.