A Photographic Leap Day

 

In celebration of Leap Day—the best of all temporally related quadrennial celebrations—I thought it would be fun to take a photographic look at the “art of the leap.”

But first, let’s take a moment to define what is, and what is, not a leap. For instance….

NOT a leap: George Zimbel – Marilyn Monroe, Looking Left

A sixteenth-hearted effort if I’ve ever seen one.  Let someone else have the spotlight for once, Marilyn!

 

ALMOST a leap: Henry Horenstein – Miss Saturn, Outside Slipper Room, New York, NY 2008

Nice fake-out, Miss Saturn, but no matter how celestial your pose (and name) may be… your stance remains a tad too Earthbound for my taste

 

Leap: Ruth Orkin - Boy Jumping Into Hudson River, 1948

Now THAT’S how it’s done!

 

Culturally, the French appear to be quite adept in their leaptitude, which is unmistakable in this duo of jump-themed pieces.

Yves Klein –Le Saut dans le vide, 1960

 

  Henri Cartier-Bresson – Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932

 

Jacques-Henri Latrigue – Bichonnade Leaping

 

Fear not, patriots, for while the French Leap does appear prominently in the photographic realm, we all know the Freedom Leap is equally entertaining.

Loomis Dean – Man Flying Off a Trampoline at Santa Monica Beach

 

Susan Burnstine – Jump

 

Dance is rife with leap photo-ops, and American modern dance queen, Martha Graham, shows up prominently in photography of the mid-20th century. Let’s combine the two, shall we?

Barbara Morgan – Graham Group, American Document; Sophie Maslow, Frieda Flier and Marforie Mazia (Starburst) 1938

 

Phillipe Halsman – Merce Cunningham, leaping and Martha Graham, sitting

 

Apparently umbrellas play an integral part in the “leap shot,” as is evident in the following rainy day photos.

Richard Avedon – Homage to Munkasci, 1957

 

Elliott Erwitt – Paris, 1989 (Tour Eiffel)

 

Like to see some of these works in person?  Never purchased a work of fine art photography? Take the LEAP (see what I did there?!) and stop on in the John Cleary Gallery.  Happy Leap Day everyone… and don’t forget those umbrellas!