Pete Desjardin Diving 1940

Curator: Here we have Harold Edgerton's "Pete Desjardin Diving," a striking black and white photograph in the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My initial impression is one of dynamic energy, it feels almost like a dance captured in a single frame. Curator: Edgerton was a pioneer in stroboscopic photography. He used rapid flashes of light to freeze motion, enabling viewers to see actions imperceptible to the naked eye. This had huge implications, particularly for the representation of the body. Editor: The repeated figure evokes classical statuary but also something more modern, a kind of temporal collage. The figure's transformation through space reminds me of the myth of Icarus, a figure who dares to fly, but here, the diver embraces water instead of air. Curator: It's fascinating how this image blurs the lines between art and science, offering a new perspective on human movement and pushing the boundaries of photographic representation. It showed the public new ways of thinking about motion. Editor: For me, this photograph is a potent symbol of transformation and the courageous leap into the unknown, rendered timeless through Edgerton's innovative technique.