this morning there was a talk with the ballet photographers and ballet dancer misty copland at the leica gallery. i had been on the wait list and was lucky a space opened up.
i actually hadn't realized that two of the photographers were dancers themselves (kylie shea and diana markosian). the talk began with the curator requesting that each try to put into words what they were trying to express with their work. i don't remember what each artist said, but here are the thoughts that i did take note of:
kylie shea mentioned that her photos reflect the grit and grace of a dancer - the duality of hard work and the beauty of dance and the beauty of nature - her photos in the show were self portraits taken in the studio and outside amidst rain and flora. diana markosian shared that she came to photography through her writing and stories of her family history in russia and armenia. i was also fascinated that she said the color in her photos was a result of her film going through the airport security x-rays. (chanda and i had commented on the color in her work and had wondered how it came about). during the q and a i asked if the artists could share what camera they had started out with and how it first shaped the way they saw the world through its lens. kylie shea began with a canon slr (single lens reflex) when she was dancing in seattle. she fell in love with taking photos and avidly read manuals and took classes to learn the technical aspects. for diana markosian i only remember that she decided at her college graduation and her mother shared the cost for her first camera. henry leutwyler received a little kodak camera with an outer square flashbulb when he was six years old. i don't think i phrased the second part of the question properly, because i think i really wanted to hear what photos were taken with those first cameras.
the final thoughts that i remember: 1) henry leutwyler reminisced that when he arrived to document the day of misty's final performance, she walked up to him limping . . she had gone through hip surgery just a month or a few months before and was also experiencing pain in her ankle. he never understood how she made it through that entire day. they also both shared how they first met and how they worked together: misty would arrive at his studio and he would take several photos and then they would go out for food and drinks. this went on for over over two decades i believe! it sounded very casual and fun. (they met at a gala or a big party of some kind, and henry swapped table seating tags so he could sit next to her . . i think that's how it went.)
2) in answer to an audience member's question of what suggestions she had for young dancers to help with taking care of themselves, she said rest was important . . making sure one took time to relax and let go of pressure and commitments.
greg met me afterwards and we walked to lifethyme health food store for some cold cuts to go with the bread i had bought earlier in the morning at the green market.
we also stopped at the library as i had parts two and three of the hobbit movie on hold. while there i checked to see if there was still space in the lecture series being offered by a local university professor, and there was! i was so surprised. i thought for sure that it would be full. the librarian signed me up and made sure i had all the reading material. i'll take a pic of it tomorrow and describe the class and everything i need to read before we first meet in march. i better make sure i get my work done! i should also get a notebook.
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