**[Michael Daks](https://www.cohart.com/michaeldaks)** is an acclaimed English photographer and director with over 30 years in fashion and portrait photography. Currently based in London, he has collaborated with prestigious clients such as The New York Times Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Vogue, and many more. Michael’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Europ - L'Art sans frontières exhibition in Paris. The cover of his book Just Good Friends was featured in The Sunday Times Magazine’s "Best of World Photography" section, and his portraits of Dennis Potter and Kenneth Branagh are held in the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection. Daks’ 40-year retrospective was showcased at The Sun Pier Gallery in 2019.

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##### Can you describe your artistic process? 

I work across different media so each medium has its own process. My paintings are thematic so I research and make sketches of ideas and then experiment with materials. My photographs are inspired by the people I photograph so each is different.

##### What materials and techniques do you typically use?

My first series of paintings was based on my years living in New York in the 90s and early 2000s. The roof of my apartment was painted in bitumen, a rubber based ‘flashing’ cement. They are known as tar beaches, as in the summer, everyone with a rooftop sunbathes up there. Over time, with the extremes in temperature, the rubber cracks and forms a bark-like pattern on the surfaces. I wanted my paintings to have a similar texture so I experimented with bitumen and a special spray paint that cracks, showing the surface paint beneath. I am now experimenting with matte and gloss paint on top of a bitumen layer and using a roller to create a repeating pattern that degrades across the surface.


##### What message or emotion do you hope to convey through your art?

Each painting or photograph has its own mood or emotion. I am currently working on a series of paintings inspired by the seasons - so each has a specific color palette and a different inspiration for each as I am creating three paintings for each season.

In my photographs, I try to create a mood and a dynamic. In my book of nudes, Just Good Friends, I was trying to photograph my friends in a way that was both natural and easy for them, but that reflected the trust and rapport between us.

##### What role does spontaneity versus planning play in your creative process?

Both are essential in my work. I plan what I am going to do but then let nature take its course. I don’t like to be too prescriptive. I let the angel of inspiration lead my eye.

##### Can you discuss a piece that challenged you both technically and conceptually?

One of my most famous images is a profile photo of my friend Christie, who became a top model in NYC and Paris. I met her at a casting in London and loved her profile, which was really stunning and feline. She was also wearing green contacts at the time, which was part of the inspiration (although in this image her eyes are closed). I wanted a silhouette, but with enough light wrapping around her to give some detail without getting flare in the lens. It was very tricky to balance the light. The stylist brought a selection of vintage jewelry and I loved this silver necklace contrasting with her skin. The makeup artist painted her already dark skin with Leichner pan stick makeup so it became completely black, but with a reflective sheen. I then had my assistant hold a silver card to reflect back the light from the white background onto her skin and the necklace.

##### Can you share a specific project or piece that holds special significance for you? 

My book of nudes, _Just Good Friends_, is my most personally significant project. It was shot over a ten-year period and includes photographs of my friends in New York, London and Paris. It started with my friend Tara, who was a ballet dancer when I first met her, but became a successful model and then a Yoga Guru. Other friends saw these images and asked me to photograph them and thus the idea was born to create a book and a new body of work.

##### Why is it _Just Good Friends_ an important project for you?

When you work as a commercial fashion and celebrity photographer there are a lot of voices on set and it was becoming more difficult to create images that were personal to me and a reflection of my artistic vision. This project let me do something that was both creatively and psychologically interesting, and as I made all the artistic decisions, it is an absolute reflection of my artistic vision.

##### How important is the exhibition space to the presentation of your work? Do you adapt your pieces for different venues or spaces?

It is very important to exhibit your work in a space that empowers the imagery. For example, scale is important to consider when looking at exhibition spaces. I have done some photographic mural printing in the past, and for my retrospective in 2019 I was showing 20 paintings and 20 photographs, so the balance and hanging was majorly important to its success. Fortunately, I have curated a lot of shows over the years, so I have a good sense of what might work in advance.

##### Do you incorporate any cultural or historical references into your work?

My work is inspired by the things that interest me which are sometimes cultural or historical but mostly personal. Many paintings are references to my love of the night sky and the James Webb Telescope, or pop culture references to books or films or music, as reflected in my choice of  titles. My positive + negative series was inspired by friends that I lost to HIV, hugely prevalent in the fashion industry in the 80s and 90s. My photograph of _Tara on her Chinese bed_ was inspired by Manet’s _Olympia_.

Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it should be a reflection of the world we live in and our own daily lives.

##### How do you handle criticism or feedback on your work?

It really depends on who is giving the criticism or feedback. At the end of the day, if I am happy with the work, then criticism doesn’t really matter, but feedback is always welcome. 

##### What impact do you hope your art has on the community or society at large?

I’m not trying to change the world, I just want to make it a more interesting place to live! 

A lot of people work in jobs that they don’t really enjoy or are very stressful and live for the weekends when they can enjoy live music, the cinema, theater, galleries and museums. I try to create work that is affordable and can enrich the lives of the people that buy it in some way. I like the idea that someone might come home after a hard day, pour a glass of wine or beer, put on some music and sit on a sofa in their living room and have some of my art for company on their walls.

##### If you could collaborate with any artist, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

Iggy Pop. He’s a living legend. I would love to collaborate on an album cover with him.

My favorite painter is Kazimir Malevich, but I am happy to admire his work without the need to collaborate - I am not sure how many painters really want to collaborate with other artists - I prefer a singular vision! But, my fashion, portrait and nude photography is always a collaboration between the artist and the subject.

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Michael Daks’ work spans paintings and photography, exploring themes of memory, mood, and personal connection.

Spotlight: Michael Daks’ Legacy of Texture, Light, and Storytelling

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