Capturing Movement

I was recently introduced to the work of Robert Longo and his "Men in Cities" series. The angles...the simplicity....the movement. From the business attire to the thrown contortions, he has succeeded in not only capturing movement but the emotive qualities associated. 

Photographing and filming dance is a difficult feat. Knowing which angles to shoot from, what positions of the dancers to highlight, and how to clearly document an entire staged piece can prove challenging for many photographers/videographers without performance or dance backgrounds. 

But, I enjoy this work because it moves beyond depicting formal "dance" and dance constructs. Instead, it captures raw and innate movement - movement that can't help but burst out and occur in authentic shape and form. While viewing predetermined choreography and shapes created with the body can be beautiful, Longo provides a window into the necessity of emotive movement. The breaking free. The everyday need for release. 

While over 30 years old, this work has kept me (and many) quite intrigued...