Questioning the Representation of Movement in Photography

Using his studio as a place of scientific research, Swedish photographer Carl Ander creates an unconventional manual that examines the relationship between the camera and the act of movement.

Using his studio as a place of scientific research, Swedish photographer Carl Ander creates an unconventional manual that examines the relationship between the camera and the act of movement.

Static Motion explores the boundaries of what a photographic image can and can not tell us about an object that is in motion. The question came to my interest after researching the use of photography in sports manuals. The authors of these books had been faced with a dilemma - How do we teach how to move a body through still imagery?

A common method in this genre of books is the use of multi-exposure. Another one is the addition of illustration on top of the photographs. If you're not at all interested in being taught what is intended with the book, this can instead create images with absurdity.

The archival photographs became the starting point for the series. The aesthetics and techniques are borrowed from the sports manuals. However, instead of being a "how-to " - book in sports - it is a manual of a static medium's relationship to motion.

Words and Pictures by Carl Ander.

Carl Ander is a photographer based in Gothenburg, Sweden currently working on both commissioned and personal projects. He holds a BFA from Valand Academy in Gothenburg. His work has been featured on Der Greif, It's Nice That, and IGNANT among others. Find him on PHmuseum and Instagram.

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This feature is part of Story of the Week, a selection of relevant projects from our community handpicked by the PHmuseum curators.