Football Kick 1938

Curator: Harold Edgerton’s photograph, "Football Kick," captures a fleeting moment with remarkable precision. The lack of a definitive date makes its story even more compelling. Editor: Gosh, it feels so staged, but then the burst of energy from the player's pose pulls you right in. Curator: Exactly. Edgerton's work explores the intersection of science and art, using stroboscopic photography to freeze action, revealing the mechanics and materials involved in the everyday. Editor: It's strange to focus on the how of the work rather than on, say, the glory of a football game, or the drama of the sport itself. It's like the process becomes the subject. Curator: His methods, though technical, democratized image making. Mass-produced equipment put scientific imaging into everyday labs and eventually into the hands of artists. Editor: It's pretty amazing how a technical experiment transforms a simple kick into something close to a dance. Curator: Yes, and it makes you consider how we all participate in this dance of labor, sport, and spectacle. Editor: I'll never look at a football game the same way again!