‘Movement Capture’

Nina Levy talks to photographer Jon Green about his long-term relationship with dance.

October 2009, Studio 2 West Australian Academy of Performing Arts:  The dancer's body arches and twists at a seemingly impossible angle before collapsing to the ground and rolling away.  "Right now can you repeat that section of movement before you fall to the ground?  I'm going to try and capture that moment just before you fall… ok that was good, let's do it one more time and this time, can you try and hold that moment before you fall just a tiny bit longer?... Perfect!  Come and have a look."

Watching photographer Jon Green working with dancer Jacqui Claus, I was struck by the incredible rapport that sprung up almost instantaneously between the two artists.  Despite having only the sketchiest of briefs (some "contemporary" shots for Ausdance to use for promotional purposes), the sense of energy and purpose during the shoot was palpable.  Not only that, the process was captivating to watch - a performance in itself.  Thrilled to have been a spectator I began to ask Jon questions as we packed up afterwards… is it common to have such a strong rapport with the subject?  What makes a great shoot?  As we chatted it became clear that there was a story to be told.

Cut to January 2010 and I'm sitting in Jon's living room, surrounded by a mix of computer screens, framed examples of his work, and quaint objects like the home-made technical camera Jon put together as part of his photography studies.  There is no doubting that this is the home of someone who lives and breathes the art of photography.  That would come as no surprise to most readers of dancewest.  Currently West Australian Ballet's photographer, and sponsor of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, it is no exaggeration to say that not an issue goes by without the inclusion of photos by Jon Green.  He is regarded by the Perth dance sector as a leading dance photographer. 

It is a surprise, then, to hear Jon say.  "I love photographing movement but I don't see myself as a dance photographer because I don't have a dance background. I don't have the dance vocab.  I don't have the dance training."  Although this declaration seems, at first, to be overly modest, studying Jon's collection of his own work (as opposed to work done for clients) it becomes apparent that he is simply stating fact.  One image is a series of overlapping stills that trace dancer Tara Bollard spiralling from standing to the floor.  Another sees Olivia Millard mid-flight, limbs, back and even hair extended.   Another captures the feet of a ballerina standing on pointe at the water's edge as a wave breaks around her. Jon is drawn to documenting movement whether it be human or the natural environment.

Jon, who has been working as a photographer since 1972, first came across dance when he took the position of university photographer at Edith Cowan University in 1989.   "I was there for eight years.  One of my duties was to go and photograph the productions at WAAPA and when I was there it was a different world and I loved it.  I fell in love with being there and being in that environment and photographing it.  In 1997 I ended up leaving - I needed a break from the university - it was a very  very draining place to work in, enjoyable but draining.  So crazy me, I ended up doing a 3 year full time degree in Arts Management. I thought, because I like performing arts and visual arts, that to be able get an understanding of how the industry works would mean I could position myself as a photographer within that industry.  It was the right thing to do - over the last ten years my main source of income has been from performing arts."

Looking at some of the photographs that Jon has taken for his many dance clients, it is easy to see why he is such a popular choice for professional and amateur dance organisations and individuals wishing to document their work.  Jon' has an uncanny ability to capture the mood of the work, whether through close-up or wide lens shot.  This may be because he is very conscious that dance performances involve many other elements beyond the movement.  "It's not just about close-ups and portraits of just the performers," he explains.  "I tend to cover a lot of what is happening on stage - there are a lot of people involved in a dance production… lighting designers, set designers, costume designers… I try and capture all those things to give a complete service to the client.  Combining the actual movement with everything else that's happening on stage is just as important as capturing a beautiful arabesque."

Photographing the performing arts is not simply a job for Jon though.  He is, first and foremost, an artist and speaks with passion about his "own work" - the shoots that he has done for artistic reasons as opposed to clients.   Looking at various prints from his personal collection, it is clear that he enjoys playing with montage, superimposing images from different places upon one another.  A stand out example is a close up shot of a  plinth at Stonehenge, which has an image of Angela Booth superimposed on top of it, creating the impression that the image has been carved into the stone.  Jon explains that he has been influenced, in this respect, by photographer Sam Haskins. "He would use a photo as part of another photo and meld it together, he would merge the images.  I love that technique."

 

This passion for photography as an art form has led Jon to make a decision to shift his focus away from client-based photography and more firmly onto his "personal" work.  "The year that I decided that I am going to concentrate more on my personal work was the year that I received an acknowledgement for my services to dance in the form of a nomination for the West Australian Dance Award," says Jon.  "I'm really grateful for the arts industry.  I've had a wonderful run since 2000 and I've set myself up equipment-wise and financially.  I'm in a perfect position to concentrate on my own work."

Jon's decision to change focus was made, at least in part, as a result of a cancer diagnosis in 2008.  "I found out I had cancer about 14 months ago and that has made me re-evaluate what I want to do and what's important to me… suddenly my own work has become a priority," he says.  Consequently, Jon has begun working on putting together a book of his work.  "The title of the book, Journey into Silence, comes from the experience I have, when I got into an exhibition or pick up a book, the first few moments, you're still aware of the sounds that are around you.  And then the more you get into the work you're looking at… there comes a silence,"  explains Jon.  "I’m thinking about having a by-line "Essence of movement"."  The content of the book, which as the by-line suggests, will be centred on photographs of movement, will be drawn from Jon's extensive back-catalogue, but will also include new images, created for this project.  "It's exciting to go through and choose images that I've taken over the last twenty years… seeing what jogs the memory, what re-excites me," says Jon.  

No doubt there will be many dance artists and dance aficionados who are excited too.  Browsing Jon's photographs is like a trip down memory lane, seeing dancers who have moved away, or dancers as they were many years ago.   However, it is clear that there will be some photographic surprises in there too when Journey into Silence hits the shelves.

 

‘Movement Capture’ written by Nina Levy – p 8-9 dancewest march 2010

 

Jon Green is a photographer who understands theatre and its people and processes. He uses the space, light, and textures of a show to inform the mood of his work, and is able to capture the fleeting moment between performers that is most precious. His photos are honest, balanced and beautiful. And he’s a joy to work with.  Marcelle Schmitz - Director