Study of Movement

This photographic series acts as an investigation into the relationship between photography’s snapshot nature and its ability to evoke movement in a still image. It seems like an oxymoron that something as flat and 2-dimensional as a photographic can portray the passage of time, but that is the magic of photography that I am intrigued by. Using digital photography, studio lighting equipment and Adobe Photoshop the artist turns the ephemeral movements into lasting moments. The resulting images convey a sense of female empowerment and strength that is further emphasized with the use of geometric shapes as a motif.

In post-production, the artist added the presence of upside down triangles and circles. This formal decision was not made strictly to add visual interest to the images, but to draw upon the symbolism of geometric forms. For example, a triangle with the point directed downward represents the divine power of the female, religions connected to goddesses and the body-mind-spirit connection. The circle also conveys symbolic femininity while creating a sublime composition. Additionally, the use of the circle in the images is reminiscent to Leonardo’s “Vitruvian Man”, which was believed to portray the idealized male form. By directly referencing this visual motif, the women in the photographs challenge the ideas of an idealized male by breaking the edges of the circle with their expressive movements.

The fabric acts as another motif throughout the series, and facilitates the ideas of movement and surrealism. During the process of photographing in studio, the artist directed the dancer to interact with the fabric. Consequently, in the resulting images, the fabric is personified, taking on a life of its own. These fleeting movements come across as surreal, since our brains do not naturally register the ephemeral.