Maurice Gunning – Photographer
Photography and dance have been an integral part of my work practice for over 10 years, and continues to be so. I have worked as Photographer in Residence with the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick in Ireland for 6 years. During this residency I have worked closely with the Masters of Contemporary Dance programme. Collaborations with national and international dancers and choreographers has seen my work exhibited in several venues and publications.
I’m currently engaged in a photographic collaboration with the Irish contemporary dancer Mary Wycherley. We were awarded a bursary to give us some creative space to explore the relationship between the body and the camera. Wycherley’s choreography and movement resonates from an inner place, from within the body, rather than its extremities. It is this quality that we are embarking on with our collaboration.
The entire body of the dancer is involved in making movement. As a photographer I can try to capture the movement, where the movement begins from and where it ends, and to investigate if there is a climax moment in the movement. An awareness of the timing of the body is integral to this, to move with the body of the dancer, with the camera, to be in synergy.
Studies of the entire body were created first and then a closer examination, physically moving closer to the body, sympathizing with the movements. Rather than placing the camera on a tripod and capturing the entire movement I move in close to the body with the camera. A sense of space is created between photographer and dancer, an intimacy of the movement. The audience observes the movements in totality, the performance space, the movement of the body through this space. I’m exploring the inner essence of the movement, not the climax of the movement but its origin. The work is progressing as we spend more time in the studio together and discuss what we are achieving. Wycherley’s movements are slowed to allow me time to shoot on a manual focus Hasselblad using only natural light. Depth of field is very small and shutter speed slow. We both move at the same speed.
We’ll continue this process for the next several months and once we have a body of work that we are satisfied with we plan to exhibit the photographs. The exhibition may incorporate a live performance also and the use of HD video may be incorporated into a live streaming of Wycherley and I creating the work together.
Maurice Gunning – Photographer
maurice.gunning@ul.ie
www.mauricegunning.com
I'm the Photographer in Residence at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick. Awards & Commissions; Arts Council, Heritage Council, the Irish Embassy, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, Theatre Productions.
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www.mauricegunning.com
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