Owl 1965

Curator: Before us is Harold Edgerton's "Owl," a study in motion captured through innovative photographic techniques. Editor: It gives the impression of spectral wings, like memories layered over one another. There's a distinct feeling of displacement. Curator: Indeed. Edgerton, who lived from 1903 to 1990, pioneered stroboscopic photography. He used rapid flashes of light to freeze movement, revealing details unseen by the naked eye. Editor: Beyond the technique, which undeniably democratized our perception, I see a commentary on the owl as a symbol. Is Edgerton playing with ideas of wisdom, or perhaps nocturnal freedom? Curator: Perhaps both. The stark contrast between the owl and the black background creates a dramatic composition and isolates the animal in its element. Editor: These images offer a way for us to consider the cultural narratives we build around the natural world. Curator: Precisely. The photographic medium offers us new modes of observing natural motion in graphic art. Editor: A compelling juxtaposition of progress and established symbolism, then.