R.I.P. Duane Michals

Several weeks ago, we lost two giants of both the art and gay worlds.  David Hockney's demise 

was all over my news feed, but I had to learn from several of my viewers that groundbreaking photographer Duane Michaels had died a couple of days earlier.  (Mr. Hockney makes an 

appearance here today, btw.)  I am ignoring my 1985 cutoff year for the blog this once 

because I wanted to give a fuller sampling of the remarkable artist's work.  With one 

possible exception (unknown date) I am presenting the images in chronological order.  

We start with a self portrait Mr. Michaels called Upside Down Portrait.

 

1966

Here we see The Violent Act from 1966, and I have to say

that it was quite edgy for the time.

 

1968

This is The Spirit Leaves the Body from 1968,

 

Back Talk

This set is from 1970 and titled Back Talk.

 

Anatomy Lesson

I don't have a date for Anatomy Lesson, a personal favorite 

I posted in my first Duane Michals series several years ago.

 

David Hockney

This is David Hockney with Friend from 1975

 

1978

These two images from 1978 are meant to be seen together.

 

Man Carrying a Chair

Here we see Man Carrying a Chair from 1982.

 

1990

Other than the obvious curly blond with a big book,

all I know about this one is the year, 1990.

 

John at 19

This is John at 19 from 2002.

 

2018

Still active well into his 80s, Mr. Michals did this as part of a fashion spread in 2018.

Note yet another curly blond with an antique typewriter, pink sandals, and some roses.

 

Goodbye

Finishing up with a photo of Duane Michals in which he seems to be waving goodbye.

Like David Hockney, Mr. Michals had a style all his own.

 

Anatomy Day

Our post today are all supposedly anatomical, although I have a couple of doubts.

We start with a model who has appeared here before in different poses.

 

Czech I

I'm not sure, but I think this is from a Cold War era Czech text.

 

1910

This drawing looks like an academit art piece, but my source says 

that it is an anatomical drawing from 1910.

 

Measure I

This one and another in today's set are a bit of a mystery.  They look like those 20th Century body typing studies, but my source described them as anatomical photos.  I suppose they could be both.

 

Side view

This side view from an anatomical textbook shows the muscles

 fairly well despite the low techincal resolution.

 

Londe-Richer

I recently found this complete version of a plate, several individual images of which I had found 

and posted separately earlier.  At least three are "new," and I think they look good together.  

They are the collaborative work of Albert Londe and Paul Richer.

 

Measure II

By comparing the baseboard and wall features, I've determined that this photo was made 

in the same room as a similar one posted in today's series.

 

Mapped

The diagrams added to this photo remind me of an illustration we had on the ranch 

where I grew up that showed the various cuts of beef one could get from a steer.

 

Czech II

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Norm Man

I'm ending the anatomical series with Normman, aka Norm Man, a 1943 sculptural portrayal of what the average Caucasian male would be.  Based on measurements and photos of about 8,500 men, Norm was done by artist Abram Belskie with the assistance of physician Robert Dickinson.  They also did a female version called Norma, but I don't think most of you would want to see her.

 

Al Urban Day

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

John Gallagher

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Harold Zinkin

As far as I know, Harold Zinkin never posed nude,

so this Al Urban trunks shot will have to do.

 

Kenneth Pendleton

Kenneth Pendleton was small for a bodybuilder at 5'1",

but he had quite a career and reputation:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh4pVfShbNr/

Al Urban produced at least six great photos of Mr. Pendleton.

 

Jules Bacon

This cover is interesting for several reasons.  First, Jules Bacon autographed it at least two years 

after its publication in 1941 because he wasn't Mr. America until 1943.  The other guy looks 

a bit like Steve Reeves, but he has been identified as Constantine Kosiris.  And although 

there is a very similar full nude photo, I have not been able to find an exact nude match,

 leading me to think that the trunks were probably not drawn on as was often 

the case with other Al Urban covers.

 

Charles Whitlock

Al Urban posed Charles Whitlock dramatically with a dagger for this one.

 

George Kuchler

I posted this photo of George Kuchler about five years ago as an unknown,

but I have since learned the identity of the impressive model.

 

Doug Hepburn

Canadian weighlifting champion Doug Hepburn had 

some competition photos done by Mr. Urban.

 

Fred Degroot

That's Fred Degroot at right, and his friend is unknown.

 

Lawrence Langnecker

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.