MOVEMENT AT THE STILL POINT
A book by MARK MANN
The Story
As a portrait photographer for over 25 years, I’ve been conditioned to search for the humanity of a person in their face, their smile, their eyes, and in their imperfections. And while every subject is unique, each one presents the same challenge: How can I break down the barrier between us, and what will the subject reveal of themselves in that moment if I do? The connective and intimate ways I have learned how to interact with every person has been an intrinsic part of the process. While I’m playing with the technical aspects of light, lens, and composition, I’m also working hard to provoke authentic moments of anticipation, joy, ridiculousness, or just a wistful instance that allows the person to forget the camera entirely and engage only with me. For me, it’s a dynamic and energetic process. While they sit in stillness, I’m the one performing.
And then during the pandemic, I became still for the first time. I couldn’t photograph the faces anymore. I lost the closeness and the relationships. And I longed for the humanity.
When my sister-in-law, Loni, a choreographer also struggling with the absence of human connection, suggested we gather a group of dancers and photograph them, I lept at the chance. (Though, in a far less lithe and graceful way than a dancer might have.) I knew exactly where we should shoot them too. We have the use of a big empty warehouse in Manhattan between around 11 am and 3 pm the light is magnificent on the lower floor. In homage to my hero Irving Penn, I set up an old monochromatic muslin and waited for the dancers to arrive.
I took their portraits, of course, as we talked about the year behind us and the idea of reemergence in the months to follow. But then something truly magical happened. As each performer passed through the set - ballerinas, b-boys and girls, Latin ballroom dancers- with a myriad of bodies and techniques, I sat back at a distance I saw a new kind of expression I wasn’t used to at all. I'm so conditioned to having to work so hard at making something happen but there I was just watching these phenomenally talented humans choose a piece of music and react in a way that felt authentic and spontaneous. In what had been my first moment of stillness, I discovered boundless humanity in their movement.
This book is a testament to the power of their expression, in movement and stillness.
A Toy Pigeon
This is a short video we made to celebrate the launch of the book at the Joyce Theatre NYC, and yes a major part of the inspiration came from my sons toy pigeon.
About Mark Mann
MARK MANN is a renowned celebrity and advertising photographer who originally hails from the sun-soaked streets of Glasgow Scotland. The countless list of famous faces photographed in Mann’s unique and recognizable style includes President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, Iggy Pop, Rihanna, Martin Scorcese, Jennifer Aniston, Stevie Wonder, Eartha Kitt, Robin Williams, Emma Stone, Bill Murray, Jessica Lange, Arthur Miller, Margot Robbie, Robert Redford, Queen Latifah, Michael Douglas, Gillian Anderson, Dave Chappelle, Olivia Wilde, Bradley Cooper, Willie Nelson, Sean Connery and many more. Mark’s editorial work has appeared in Esquire, Men’s Health, Vibe, Spin, Fortune, Billboard, Parade, and Complex, and his clients include Reebok, Adidas, Hennessy, Bombay Sapphire, Pepsi, Gillette, Vitamin Water, NHL, Zumba, Ford, Chrysler, and Svedka to name a few.
Always hungry for new subjects and challenges Mark has spearheaded his own projects over the years, one of which was creating a collection of LUCHA LIBRE wrestlers. Where all the photographs were shot on a vintage Graflex camera using polaroid instant film. Most recently he was struck by the contrast of dancing bodies to his traditional portraits in a new body of work which culminated in a book titled Movement at The Still Point: an Ode to Dance published by Rizzoli International in March 2023.
Mark was born in Glasgow, where he lived until he was accepted to the prestigious photographic program at Manchester Polytechnic. Upon graduating Mark was immediately taken under the wing by innovative fashion photographers, Nick Knight and Miles Aldridge, where he learned the ropes and quickly built his own body of work. Three years later, Mark started shooting on his own and relocated to New York City where 26 years later he still lives with his wife and son, and their recently adopted Chihuahua, Shaq.
About Loni Landon
Loni Landon is a Dancer, Choreographer, and Movement Consultant based in New York City. In addition to creating dances for her own collective Loni Landon Dance Project, her work is commissioned by Dance Companies and Film Director’s across the country. Born and raised in New York City, Landon received her BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School. While a student at the NYC High School of Performing Arts, Landon was a NFAA YoungArts Modern Dance Winner.
After Juilliard, Landon performed with Aszure Barton and Artists, Ballet Theater Munich, Tanz Munich Theater, and The Metropolitan Opera.Landon is a Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Winner. As a sought after choreographer, her work has been commissioned by The Joyce Theater, Keigwin and Company, BODYTRAFFIC, James Sewell Ballet, Whim Whim, LEVY DANCE, The Juilliard School, American Dance Institute, Northwest Dance Project, Groundworks Dance Company, Hubbard Street II, BalletX, Ballet Austin, SUNY Purchase, NYU, Boston Conservatory, and Marymount Manhattan College. Her company has performed at The Joyce Theater, Pulse Art Fair, Jacob's Pillow, Insitu Dance Festival, Bryant Park, Beach Sessions in Rockaway Beach and Guggenheim Works and Process Series.
Landon has won numerous awards including 1st Prize Winner of Ballet Austin’s New American Talent Competition, Northwest Dance Project’s “Pretty Creatives’” Choreographic Competition, Next Commission from CityDance Ensemble, Finalist in the International Solo Tanz Theater Competition in Stuttgart, Germany, Finalist in the Hannover International Choreography Competition and an Emerging Choreographer at Springboard Danse Montreal.
Landon choreographed the feature film “Saturday Church,” Directed by Damon Cardasis, which premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival. Landon was a participant in the New Movement Residency at USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation New Directions Choreography Lab made possible through the generous support of the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Other residencies include ITE, NYU, CUNY Dance Initiative, Kaatsbaan, and Stephen Petronio’s new residency center, Crow’s Nest, in collaboration with Dance Lab NY and Dancers Responding to Aids. She has been adjunct faculty at NYU, Barnard, SUNY Purchase, and Princeton University.
Landon is passionate about Entrepreneurship in the Arts and has co-founded THE PLAYGROUND, an initiative designed to give emerging choreographers a place to experiment while allowing professional dancers to participate affordably. The Playground was recognized by Dance Magazine as a 25 To Watch. As well as four/four presents, a platform that commissions and presents collaborations between dancers and musicians.