On Seeing, A Journal. #539

Modern Modern Dance:
Sarah Cecilia Bukowski

August 22, 2023

There are tens of thousands of well-done photographs of dancers anywhere you look: beautiful, magnificently posed, creatively lit, often with clever backgrounds as in the image above, or in an unusual environment.

There are many really wonderfully skilled and talented dancers, working with photographers who know how to light and direct. One does require a very fine dancer to make a very fine image.

My issues with modern dance photographs are complicated. First of all dance is, in part, movement, depth and sound. A photograph is frozen, flat and silent. It is not possible for photography to compete with great dance. A photograph needs to be something else, some other unique, creative expression of the magnificent art form that is dance. A significant challenge.

Second, I am “over” making “nice” photographs of dancers given that my visual data bank of such work is over-flowing with such imagery from all over the world; I currently see images of dancers new to my eyes only rarely.

For these reasons, I have set out to challenge myself to create images of dance that I personally have not seen before;  images that surprise me,  that are unique, perhaps other-worldly and perhaps seem to come from a different space and time.

It is very very tough but I am determined (not yet discouraged) in this pursuit; and I’m working at it with the expectation of a bright-eyed child at the circus for the first time.

Recently, a wonderful dancer and writer, Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, came to the studio to work with me in this pursuit.

A few explorations in pursuit of unique surprise and delight.