Dancers Among Us: Photographs by Jordan Matter

The first solo museum exhibition for Jordan Matter in the United States, Dancers Among Us contains over 30 photographs from the artist’s acclaimed book Dancers Among Us: A Celebration of Joy in the Everyday, as well as images from his upcoming book Tiny Dancers Among Us and new photographs of dancers in our region. The exhibition, which fills three galleries, contains videos documenting photo shoots. Matter photographs dancers off stage and in unexpected places, with no computer manipulation allowed. The world is his studio—its streets, libraries, playing fields, coffee shops, and highways. For Matter, the heart of dance is best captured outside in bustling city avenues or juxtaposed with rural nature.

Matter’s photographs fall into three themes: soaring, stretching, and serendipity. In the first, seen anywhere from the Hudson River to city park fountains, Matter links the leaping dancer to moving water. In the second, the dancers’ dramatic poses of strength and stillness evoke a more contemplative mood. The last section highlights particular locations—from bustling city streets to more serene riverbanks and park fountains, where Matter takes advantage of the special qualities of light and motion.