Pointed toes, pointed lens

Jordan Matter’s “Double Take”

Photographer captures ballerina Kim Joo-won in urban landscape

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Kim Joo-won, Korea’s most high-profile ballet dancer, dressed stunningly in red and black, leaps elegantly in the middle of Gwanghwamun Plaza, the massive pedestrian area in the heart of Seoul.

Capturing her every move is photographer Jordan Matter, who recently celebrated the opening of his first exhibition in Korea at the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art.

The idea to photograph Kim and other dancers adding color and grace to the grey city was inspired by Annmaria Mazzini’s iconic image of dancers in front of Macy’s in New York, used on the cover of Matter's book, “Dancers Among Us.”

But the shooting last Friday wasn’t planned in advance. The concept sprang to Matter’s mind during a day-long photo shoot of Seoul’s famous landmarks when he saw a red umbrella within a stream of pedestrians. Kim and Pennsylvania Ballet soloist Park Jong-suk were happy participants.

Jordan Matter’s “Taken”

“I never know what I am going to do,” Matter said. He finds every inspiration from every item at every minute. The model just happened to be a ballerina and she was asked to open a red umbrella and jump.

Park lifts Kim toward the glass ceiling of the Seoul Station. Kim spins near a pine grove at Gyeongbok Palace. That was before Matter took her in Gwanghwamun Plaza and gave her the umbrella. The soft-spoken dancer is soaked in sweat from head to toe, but seems genuinely excited.

Matter’s photographs are visually stunning and testify to his understanding of movement and timing. He says he never sets his camera on the quickest shutter speed and prefers relying on his anticipation and touch.

Matter dreamed about being a professional baseball player until he entered college. Then he saw the photos of Henri Cartier-Bresson, which was a life-changing moment. His works are all about capturing the “decisive moment,” and you could hear him shout “keeping going” or “one more time” again and again to his models, who have been mostly dancers or athletes.

“If I ever write my autobiography, the title will be ‘One More Time,”’ he laughed.

During a short visit to Korea, Matter collaborated with several Korean dancers and artists, including Yoon Do-hyun, vocalist of the popular rock band YB.

Photographer Jordan Matter takes pictures of ballerina Kim Joo-won in Gwanghwamun, downtown Seoul, last week. / Korea Times photo by Kwon Mee-yoo

Kim and Lee Jeong-yun of the National Dance Company of Korea performed a dance to celebrate the opening of Matter’s exhibition last Wednesday.

Matter praised Korean dancers for their versatility. “Some dancers often repeat themselves, but every shot with Kim and Park was very unique,” he said.

He was also fascinated by the historical heritage of Seoul.

“Obviously, the thousands years of history is here, while the U.S. only has hundreds. That’s a big difference,” he said.

“I’ve also noticed that Korean people are observing, thoughtful.”

The exhibit at Savina Museum features some 60 pictures from Matter’s “Dancers Among Us” and newer “Athletes Among Us” series. Matter captured his models urban settings such as busy business streets or theaters, expressing joy of life through the dynamic movement.

Video clips showing how Matter created such brilliant shots are also screened at the museum.

The exhibit runs through Sept. 22. Admission is 8,000 won for adults and 6,000 won for students. The photo spread of Kim and Park will be featured at the September issue of Korean magazine Noblesse.

For more information, visit www.savinamuseum.com or call (02) 736-4371.