Signature Gestuelle - Dominique Jaussein

Beyond traditional dance photography, Dominique Jaussein takes us to the heart of what makes this art form.

"A signature is a trace deliberately left behind to signal one's identity. It attests to a person's presence even when they are no longer there. When I look at Dominique Jaussein's work, I don't see movement, but the dancer's formidable physical signature."

Jean-Christophe Maillot, Choreographer and Director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo.

Light, sometimes deep, sometimes bright, muted or grazing, is an essential tool for defining the body, giving rhythm to images, highlighting the texture of the skin or the elasticity of the muscles. Light shapes the form, its harmony, to reveal the emotions of the soul. Light is the key to everything. It is my raw material, intangible, subtle, magical.

I therefore strive to write with light on George's body through successive touches of shadow and light, more or less contrasting, designed to highlight the curve of a foot, a torso, buttocks, creating a symphony in black and white. I seek to sculpt George's body in two dimensions through my lens, always searching for the plastic harmony of a posture.

"Photography is a quick way of looking, of creating a sculpture." Robert Mapplethorpe.

I consider George as an object of art. I seek the perfect form—pure and aesthetic. I am in search of an intense and harmonious beauty by working with the abstract side of the human body, a true human sculpture through its lines of force, its still power, its elegance, and its free expression.

It was first and foremost a wordless dialogue, made of gestures and light, that gave birth to my images, sometimes by accident. Then, our mutual, natural, and enthusiastic creation blossomed into a true partnership through the personalization of my understanding with George and the shared discovery of our individual personalities. The magic of our photo shoots, George's understanding of my expectations, and his natural suggestions in the gestural material of his poses facilitated my work.

This gestural dialogue between the dancer, an expert in his body, and myself, the photographer, allowed the sessions to flourish. Each body has its own signature, its own identity, with a story, a potential. I follow it with my gaze, I draw it into my space, into my soul, and suddenly, stop! Still! The photo is taken.