Performers In Ink

Oct 20, 2011

As the recipient of a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, Nori Lupfer traveled Russia, Brazil and Europe photographing circuses. Her photographs celebrate the human form by capturing quiet moments within stunning and dramatic circus performances. In this collection, by transferring photograph to print through a solar plate etching process, Lupfer translates these actions from crisp, sharp images to soft, textured works.

Artist Statement:
During the Watson year I witnessed amazing human feats, rigorous practice and stunning performances, while amassing thousands of photographs.  In selecting the images for this exhibition, I wanted to avoid the overwhelming circus gimmicks, costumes and lights.  Instead, I sought the quiet moments caught on camera, oftentimes the performer’s intense focus before an explosive maneuver.

This collection celebrates the simplicity and beauty of human form.  I felt that these moments deserved a delicate and elegant presentation. The photographs are represented in black and white and printed using solar plate etching.  This is a non-toxic intaglio process that uses the sun to etch the photograph onto a photosensitive copper plate.

My process is utilizing the interplay between photography and printmaking. I believe the soft texture of ink and the glow of the paper captures “the calm before the action” that I observed when I took the original photographs.

– Nori Lupfer