The Art of photography

Responding

to

theSubject:ASpecial

Object

DuaneMichalsexperiencedatwingeof

shockwhenhefirstsawthemannequin:

"Itfrightenedme.Mannequinsarevery

queer,bizarrethings—they'reimitation

peoplemadebypeople.WhenIbegan

toworkwiththemannequin,Iremem-

beredascenefrom

a

moviethatI

saw

whenIwasayoungkid:Aboywaslook-

inginastorewindowwhereamecha-

nizedmannequin

wasputtingonsome

kindofact;otherpeoplewerewatching

this

actalongwiththeboy,butwhenit

wasovertheyleft,andtheboyremained

alone;thenthemannequinturnedaround

andlookedrightattheboy.Itwasavery

disturbingmovietoseeatthatage.

"IknewIwanted

toworkwiththeidea

offearandstrangeness.Iwasinterested

inwhattheobject

suggests,notwhatitis.

Myinitialplanwastohavearealperson

inthepicturetoo.SometimesIplay

a

gamewith

a

girl

Iknow,whereIpretend

I'mamechanicalperson.Itfrightensher.

"Idecided

todressupthemannequin

inoneofmysuitsandtakeapictureof

thisgirlreactingtoit.ThenIrealized

that,

instead

ofshowingthegirlbeingfright-

ened,Iactuallywantedtofrightenthe

viewer,soIbegan

toworkwiththeman-

nequinbyitself.Butmyideastillwasn't

working.Ithought,

'HowcanImakethis

work?'Itookthemannequin'sheadoff,

andsuddenlyitallcame

together."