photo: © Rob van Woerkom - Robin Park
Photographer Rob van Woerkom began his career as a ballet dancer, a fascination that took root in his youth; to him, dancers exemplified artistic maturity. They projected a certain superiority, as though they carried a profound secret that could only be revealed through dance. It seemed that words were insufficient and that only dance could translate that mystery.
For sixteen years, Rob van Woerkom was a ballet dancer with Dutch National Ballet. During that time, he also began taking photographs. Throughout his life in ballet, the art of dance was the main source of inspiration for his photos. He still photographs ballet dancers; they continue to fascinate him. And that is what he wants to show in his work.
I was a ballet dancer myself, and ballet dancers are the main source of inspiration for my photos
In Attitude, dancers are captured at the intersection of movement and stillness, with each image feeling like a carefully composed moment in which dance, light, and photographic timing converge.
“In Rob’s work, the elegance of dance meets the aesthetics of the studio setting. We see the history of dance pass by—with Rudolf Nureyev—the history of art—with Degas—and the history of photography—with Cartier-Bresson’s ‘decisive moment.’” ~ Hans Rooseboom, curator of photography at the Rijksmuseum.
In this way, Attitude is not only an ode to dance, but also to photography’s ability to make the intangible tangible.
Attitude - Rob van Woerkom
Pages:
Price: € 30.00
Publisher: Uitgeverij Brandt
See more work by Rob van Woerkom on Fotogalerie.nl.
