Study Hall

1973

Michael Jang

Associated Names
Michael Jang

Artist, American, born 1951

In this black-and-white photograph, five children sit closely together on a couch, reading different comic books and magazines. The comic books obscure the faces of the five children, and they appear absorbed in their reading. A sixth child who appears to be a young boy sits on the ground in front of the couch next to a coffee table piled high with dirty dishes and more comic books. His face is partially visible; he has light skin and dark hair, and he looks over his shoulder to the right. The children wear a variety of clothing with different patterns, including long-sleeved shirts, dresses, belts, and long pants. The wall behind the couch is light gray, with the edge of a framed photo visible at the top.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    gelatin silver print

  • Credit Line

    Charina Endowment Fund

  • Dimensions

    image: 15.5 × 23.5 cm (6 1/8 × 9 1/4 in.)
    sheet: 20.32 × 25.4 cm (8 × 10 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2022.119.1

More About this Artwork

In this black-and-white photograph, five children sit closely together on a couch, reading different comic books and magazines. The comic books obscure the faces of the five children, and they appear absorbed in their reading. A sixth child who appears to be a young boy sits on the ground in front of the couch next to a coffee table piled high with dirty dishes and more comic books. His face is partially visible; he has light skin and dark hair, and he looks over his shoulder to the right. The children wear a variety of clothing with different patterns, including long-sleeved shirts, dresses, belts, and long pants. The wall behind the couch is light gray, with the edge of a framed photo visible at the top.

Article:  12 Documentary Photographers Who Changed the Way We See the World

Photographers of the 1970s revolutionized the medium through innovations of both style and subject.


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Michael Jang, CA; NGA purchase (through Lee Gallery, Winchester, MA), 2022.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2025

  • The '70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, October 6, 2024–April 6, 2025

Inscriptions

on verso, signed by artist, lower right corner in graphite: Michael Jang / vin; by unknown hand, lower left corner in graphite: 114


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