The Art of Motion is something that applies to both martial arts and to art. This example above is from a collaborative project that I did with a friend of mine years ago. Kenda Scott took the photo and it was included in an installation piece that we did for the Gallery of Alternative Space at CSU, Chico. I had approached Kenda about what we could do to show motion in martial arts and she had suggested an extended exposure of a single frame. If I remember correctly, my friend Eric Frank took either the prints and/or the negatives and blew them up and did some things in the photo lab to create a different look. If you look at the original print, you can tell it was definitely from a time when using a photo lab was more common than running your photos through a computer, although we did have that option at the time. While the piece in itself is able to stand alone, it is but a small part of an entire concept that spanned many disciplines of art from 3 dimensions, to 2 dimensions, to sound, to photography, to aspects of architecture.
What I really like about this piece is how it shows movement and contrast y- 2 things that are very important to me in art. I am still trying to find new ways to push this in my art. The two ideas by themselves can say a lot. When combined with other ideas, it can be a powerful vehicle for story telling and sharing visual ideas.
As for the part about martial arts, I like how it shows so many lines of movement that recall the design of the Universal Symbol from Kenpo. There are so many planes of movement, this is what makes Kenpo such a diverse art, among other things, of course. It is also another reminder, for me, of just how deep the connection of art and martial arts can run...yet another idea avenue to explore, if I can just find the time!
Enjoy and thanks for stopping by.
Jesse
