Adagio is a series of images that are about the movements of dance. I
have worked for the past year with dancers from various dance companies.
These are portraits of the dancers done through their movements and
gestures. The work is about the movement of the body in light and space.
The film captures the figure in time so that the viewer sees of more
the motion of the dancer. These images are a departure from reality into
the rituals of dance and music. As with my past work the spirit of the
person is more important the actual portrait. The body moving is an
essential part of all dances. Here we try to capture just a moment in
time, light, and space.
My work is done in the Bromoil Process. A bromoil print is a silver
gelatin bromide print that has been bleached to remove the silver. The
image is than inked with a greasy pigment such as lithographic ink to
replace the silver. I use this process because it enhances the softness
and adds mystery to the images. Taking it a step away from reality. The
images from my work are at times created and inspired from a fantasy
world to have another worldly quality.
I use double exposure and slow shutter speeds to change what is true and
expected in a scene. This process gives me the freedom to soften, blur
or completely erase an aspect of the original negative.
I use a Wisner 4 x5 with one lens for most of my work. Polaroid’s type
55 is the film I use when working with models since with motion it is
necessary to see the results immediately.
Creativity by deviating from the predictable is a valuable tool for
furthering the artistic vision. Basic techniques are simply a starting
point in the process of developing a recognizable style. This method
allows me to alter a traditional photograph, and create a unique
painterly print. My subject matter adds another dimension, so that the
final product is a multilayered, glimpse beneath the surface. The
portrait for me is a picture of a persons place in life as well as what
that individual feels inside.
Joy Goldkind (May 5, 2007)
© JOY GOLDKIND
