Duane Michals
Duane Michals is an artist well known for his work with photographic sequences and unique ways of storytelling through the lens. I’m interested in the way his sequences make the viewer really notice the idea or subject matter, as each image shows something that is clearly different to the previous photo by introducing, changing or taking away an element. I was thinking about this as I looked at his work ‘I Built a Pyramid’ (1978), which shows him stacking a pyramid out of rocks in front of the Egyptian pyramids. Duane Michals cleverly makes viewers really notice by capturing movements or something that has occurred over a substantial length of time and then showing them as a short series of images – almost like summaries of the actions or events that took place. This means each image in a series contains a significantly noticeable difference, allowing the viewer to fill in the gaps themselves. He also takes photos from a single, still viewpoint, and this emphasises the changes that occur.
Duane Michals sequences have a direct impact on the viewer by making us actively notice, imagine and think, showing that sequencing can be a really engaging way of formatting and presenting photographs. I’m inspired to see how I can create a shorter sequence in my work as a way of observing labour and making people acknowledge the labour that keeps our communities going.
(https://www.dcmooregallery.com/artists/duane-michals/series/sequences?view=slider#5)
Circuit – Video Inspiration
I was interested in seeing ways that artists incorporate shadows and reflections into lens-based work as I would like to further experiment with these elements to indirectly observe or show labour. I had a look around Circuit to find inspiration, and came across Sonya Lacey and Ziggy Lever’s video works!
Sonya Lacey’s ‘Newspaper for Vignelli’ 2010 (https://www.circuit.org.nz/film/newspaper-for-vignelli) shows newspaper floating across the ground, casting shadows that dance on the concrete. I like the way the camera travels too, following the movement of the newspaper and shadows. This work made me think about different perspectives, and the way that shifting or redirecting our focus can change what we notice. I’m inspired by the use of shadows as an indirect way of viewing something. We often forget to look at our shadows, but I think it’s interesting to think about them as something like a bond between us and our environment, like a reminder that our bodies are connected to the world outside and the places we go.
I was really interested in the way Ziggy explores reflections and perspectives in his videos. His works ‘Driving behind a very animated tree’ 2015 (https://www.circuit.org.nz/film/driving-behind-a-very-animated-tree) and ‘Driving down Scott Rd looking for weeds’ 2014 (https://www.circuit.org.nz/film/driving-down-scott-rd-looking-for-weeds) were filmed from his vehicle, and I was reminded of my exploration of photographing from the car. I really like the use of reflection in the moving scene in ‘Driving down Scott Rd looking for weeds’, and the way the reflections re-capture what has already been seen or travelled through but from a new perspective – therefore capturing the past. The perspective of filming from a vehicle interests me because in a strange way it makes the viewer feel like they could be there, witnessing the view from the car. It creates a real sense of looking and observing, which is something I am trying to convey through my work in relation to noticing the labour around us.