“El Espíritu Asciende I”
Fine art photographer Rob Woodcox uses the human body as building blocks for his elaborate compositions. His pictures of dancers take advantage of their strength, balance, and flexibility, as he places them in a wide variety of dynamic positions. The results are striking photographs that are both complex and minimalist.
Woodcox uses symmetry, light, and movement to build out his photographs. Titles like Human Tetris feed into his use of the human body as a piece to be moved and manipulated in order to achieve harmonious compositions. Each dancer is like a piece of a puzzle, at once individual and unique while also a key component of the overall whole.
The skilled photographer, who currently splits his time between Mexico City, Los Angeles, and New York City, finds inspiration for his surreal photographs in different places. Occasionally, his creativity will be sparked by a physical place, other times it’s an abstract dream that inspires him. Woodcox always writes his ideas down when they come to mind and then connects with local dance companies to execute his vision.
While he aims to shoot as much of the imagery as possible in camera, some of his fantastical ideas do require the use of Photoshop. This is a balance he keeps in mind while shooting, as he aims to come away with a seamless final product. By working closely with the dancers and pairing his art form with another genre, he’s deepened his creativity and pushed himself to new limits.
“What intrigues me about movement in dance is its correlation to my experience as a human being; life is always moving and changing and dance quite literally replicates that using physical form,” he tells My Modern Met. “The shapes and stories that dancers can create using their bodies make the perfect subject to photograph and capture the whimsical concepts in my mind.”
Through his work, Woodcox hopes to bring a positive message to the public, encouraging them to celebrate the uniqueness of every individual. By celebrating the connectedness of humanity, his photographs are a reminder to set aside our differences and move towards hope and light.
Photographer Rob Woodcox uses the human figure to construct dynamic and surreal compositions.
“Human Tetris I”
“Sky Climb”
“Evolution of a Jump”
“NY State of Mind”
“El Espíritu Asciende II”
“Human Tetris II”
“Spontaneous Creation I”
“NY State of Mind III”
“Human Tetris III”
“Spontaneous Creation II”
“Tree of Life”
“NY State of Mind II”