Duane Michals: key obituary facts
Is Duane Michals dead? Yes. Duane Michals died on June 9, 2026, at age 94.
Cause of death: Duane Michals's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Duane Michals known for?
He was an American photographer (born 1932).
More about Duane Michals
Born: 18 February 1932.
Place of birth: McKeesport.
Gender: male.
Occupation: photographer, draftsperson.
Nationality: United States.
Education: Parsons School of Design, University of Denver, McKeesport Area High School.
Awards: Lucie Award.
Career began: 1958.
Career ended: 1 January 2012.
Also known as: Duane Steven Michals.
Years active: 1958–2026.
Known for: Innovative use of photo-sequences, often incorporating text to examine emotion and philosophy.
Duane Michals, an American photographer known for inventive photo-sequences that often combined text with images to explore emotion and philosophy, died on June 9, 2026.
He was 94. Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, on February 18, 1932, Michals studied at the University of Denver and later at the Parsons School of Design, though he did not complete that program.
He described himself as completely self-taught in photography, which he began pursuing in 1958 after discovering the medium during a trip to the Soviet Union. His first exhibition followed in 1963 at the Underground Gallery in New York City.