Barbara Morgan (American, 1900-1992)
Martha Graham – Letter to the World, 1940
Gelatin silver print
Gift of Martin Blumenthal
Happy International Dance Day!
One of my favorite things about visual art is its propensity to encapsulate other fields within it – for example, try looking up “science” or “music” in the gallery’s online collection, and lots of related works will appear. Dance is no exception, as the collection holds many works, from photographs to abstract paintings, that blend the performing with the fine arts.
On a more personal note, dance has held an important role in my life since I was young. I have continued my involvement throughout college and recently marked my 17th year of dancing with this semester’s campus performances. About three times a week I head to the Baker Sports Complex, the home of Davidson’s dance studios, which is where I immerse myself in jazz and modern classes, rehearse for performances, and choreograph my own routines. During each visit I am greeted by six photos of professional dancers, on loan from the gallery collection, that hang in the hallway outside the studios. These monochromatic images come from Barbara Morgan, a photographer best known for her work with performance artists. Each time I see these photographs, I marvel not only at the depictions of incredibly talented dancers, but also the techniques Morgan uses to capture them.
Unlike the dance photos that I often receive of myself – blurry, awkward, and stuck on the in-between moments before and after the picture-perfect poses – Morgan’s works reveal greater timing and clarity. She has immortalized performers like Merce Cunningham and José Limón at the exact right moment, capturing the peak of their dramatic and expressive movement, whether midair, mid-kick, or mid-pose.
The most iconic of her subjects is Martha Graham, one of the most prolific dancers of the 20th century. Graham choreographed over 180 ballets and developed a signature technique that is still taught in dance classes to this day. The Martha Graham Dance Company, the longest-operating dance school in the US, continues to educate young performers in her style. Her legacy remains powerful in the dance world and beyond, and Morgan captures her in all her glory.
Martha Graham – Letter to the World depicts the midst of a kick in Graham’s performance based on poet Emily Dickinson, one of the many notable women of history that Graham pays homage to in her choreography. The photo portrays the elegance and athleticism of Graham’s movement as well as the depth of her emotion as she embodies her role. The photo does not merely showcase the body but also the soul – Graham’s sorrowful expression emanates off the image, a testament to both her performance talent and Morgan’s photographic skills. This performance and visual art collaboration between Graham and Morgan reveals the dynamic beauty that a combination of the arts can create.
The placement of this photograph, along with others by Morgan, in the dance studio hallway of Baker provides any dancer who walks by with inspiration and encouragement. Their presence has been a familiar comfort for me, like an old friend, and a reminder that the movement I create in class, as silly or imperfect as it might be, furthers this artistic legacy that those like Graham and Morgan helped create.
We wish all performance artists a happy International Dance Day, from your friends here in the visual arts!
– Gaby Sanclimenti ‘25
Barbara Morgan (American, 1900-1992) was born in Kansas, grew up in California, and attended UCLA. She later taught art classes, then began to explore photography after moving to New York with her husband and having her first child. After attending one of Martha Graham’s performances, she collaborated with the choreographer for her first book, and became best known for her dynamic, powerful photos of dancers. Morgan later co-founded the photography magazine Aperture.
Sources:
“Barbara Morgan – Biography.” International Center of Photography. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/barbara-morgan?all/all/all/all/0
“Barbara Morgan — Martha Graham – Letter to the World, Kick.” Holden Luntz Gallery. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.holdenluntz.com/artists/barbara-morgan/martha-graham-letter-to-the-world-kick/
“History.” Martha Graham Dance Company. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://marthagraham.org/history/