Daphney Chen
Independent Dance Artist
Dapheny Chen, contemporary dancer. In the studio, I captured an improvised moment with an improvised prop. A movement started and stopped, leaving almost untraceable traces in the air. What thought, what past, brought this moment to pass will forever be a mystery. The photo is just a trace, captured.
“The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.”
— extract from Maya Angelou, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” 1983
Movement dissipates while also deriving from its vanishing. It fades seconds after its formation, but continues to live in our senses and memories.
Memories that are filled with untold secrets and stories that only those present can relive and retell. Yet, they are imprinted on the image of the moment. Each image filled with the ephemerality of that moment.