subsequent moment will resolve itself into a miraculous
moment. I shoot only one photo at a time, often asking
the dancer to repeat the same movement many times.
That way the dancer can also experiment with variations,
as well as allowing me to capture different split seconds
each time. The camera’s ability to “stop” the flow allows
the viewer to extract otherwise imperceptible moments
created by the dancer. The laws of logic are replaced by
the paradox of inversion - the moving elements solidify,
and what appears immobile is in flux. A split second
becomes an eternity, and an ephemeral moment is solid
as sculpture.
We see glimpses of Michelangelo, Bernini and
Renaissance-like artistic expression in your work.
How does the work of contemporary artists inspire
you, if at all?
The two photographers that influenced me the most
are Duane Michals and Max Waldman. Duane was
an iconoclast, always wanting to push the envelope.
I was inspired by his determination not just to take
photographs, but to create images that would not have
existed had he not set them up. I followed his lead. And
yes there is definitely the influence of the Michelangelo
and the Bernini, among others. I hadn’t realized it at the
time, but the semester I spent in Florence my junior year
of college unconsciously influenced my photography,
either by alluding to biblical scenes or Greek mythology.
All these themes can be found in my two early
monographs, “Breaking Bounds” and “Airborne”, as
well as in my latest collection “Lois Greenfield: Moving
Still” published by Thames & Hudson LTD, UK.
You are known for pioneering the use of live
photography. Please share your experience with this
concept.
From 2003 to 2007, I collaborated on the creation
and performances of the Australian Dance Theatre’s
“HELD”, a dance based on my photographs. I created
photographic moments for the dancers to perform on
the stage as part of the choreography. The premise was
the live capture and instantaneous transmission of the
images I shot on the stage. As the dancers performed, I
shot hundreds of images, and each photo went up,
unedited, instantly on two large screens on the stage.
The audience could see the live event and my photos
simultaneously. The dance debuted at the Sydney Opera
House, and toured in Europe, the USA, and Japan. I was
intrigued by the fact that I would pluck these photos out
of a continuum, they would appear on the screen for 5
seconds, and disappear. It was quite an experience - I
Jordan Isadore
Hasselblad 500 CM 100mm F/8 1/250 ISO50
PeiJuChien-Pott
Hasselblad 500 CM 100mm F/8 1/250 ISO50