Dances Through Glass: A 25-Year Retrospective of Work by Photographer and Painter Polly Norman

Polly Norman’s elegant compilation of photographs represents 25 years of art making. Woven among these exquisite works she also shares her struggle with manic depression and passion for dance, an alchemy that inspired her to make remarkable images that dance.
Using a process entirely of her own invention, Norman first photographs objects or scenes through architectural glass block in black and white. On select pieces she adds a second layer of photograms and may also paint the photo surface, adapting 19th century hand-coloring techniques.

My art is filtered, shaped and bent through a unique type of glass. It is also filtered through a mind and soul that is at times tortured, says Norman in her introductory essay, Soaring and Crashing.

Art historian and critic Bianca Sandino arranges Norman’s works under the guise of three distinct dances: Cecchetti, Tango and Tarantella.

George Slade, photography historian, contributes an essay on Norman, Eye Play and interview with author.