Focus on Dance | Keith de Lellis Gallery
Barbara Morgan (American, 1900-1992), War Theme (Martha Graham), 1941 © Barbara Morgan. Courtesy Keith de Lellis Gallery.
Written by Simran Tuteja
Dancing is one of the world’s oldest artforms. It’s a way to express your emotions, movements, rituals and aesthetics. Various photographs decided to capture the beauty and history of dance in the 20th century over a span of forty years dating back to the 1920s. Although the two artforms separately are highly acclaimed, dance and photography together enhances the ability to tell a story from either mediums and signifies the advancement of the art world. Focus on Dance exhibition is on display at Keith de Lellis Gallery, New York from June 14th, 2023 to August 17th, 2023 featuring works by Cecil Beaton, George Platt Lynes, Lucien Walery and other photographers.
Cecil Beaton (British, 1904-1980), George Balanchine, 1920s. © Cecil Beaton. Courtesy Keith de Lellis Gallery.
The exhibition highlights the precise details such as expressions, body form and movements that play a significant role in the art of dance. The photographs on display capture the visual dream-like notion that exists through a phrase of dance. In one of the works by Cecil Beaton, he chose the legendary Russian choreographer George Balanchine as his subject. Our subject is staring right into the lens with a cigarette in his hand with a gauzy smoke cloud that rises above his head. In the background, flowers are emerging on the top right corner of the image. Beaton elegantly manages to capture the delicateness of the flowers and smoke cloud as well the boldness of the choreographer in this image. Alluding to Balanchine’s ballet Orpheus, one of the photographs by George Platt Lynes brings forth the abstractness of Surrealist photography. He chose two naked male dancers, one of whom is standing upright with a shining lyre, and the other one who can be seen bending. The two dancers are creating an outline of highlights in the center of a dark frame. Platt Lynes excellently captures the intimacy and beauty of dance in his image.
Edward Clark (American, 1911-2000), Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blonds’, 1953. © Edward Clark. Courtesy Keith de Lellis Gallery.
Stanislaus Julian Walery (Polish, 1863 - 1935), Josephine Baker, 1926. © Slanislaus Julian Walery. Courtesy Keith de Lellis Gallery.
The art of photography was swarming with experimentalism in the early to mid-1900s and the art of dance was in its prime with dancers becoming popular culture icons. In one of the images by Edward Clark, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Rusell in Gentlemen Prefer Blonds act as our subject. The two icons of pop culture can be seen wearing matching outfits getting captured while dancing. Whereas, the Polish photographer, Lucien Walery, chose the icon Josephine Baker as her subject. Our subject was captured while performing her signature ‘Charleston’ dance with a painted towering city in her background on stage in Paris.
Carl Van Vechten (American, 1880-1964), Allen Meadows and Hugh Laing, 1940. © Carl Van Vechten. Courtesy Keith de Lellis Gallery,
Focus on Dance exhibition has been curated from photographs that capture dancing over the past twenty five years along with some of the most famous dancers and styles of the early to mid-20th century. The images on display portray the intertwining of the dance and photography community hence evoking the gracefulness, vitality and passion of both the artforms.
