Wajah seorang penari dan para pemusik dalam sebuah pertunjukan Bali, melalui empat foto tentang ekspresi dan perhatian.
The dancer fills the frame with colour. A bright headdress, a patterned costume and the position of her hands give the photograph its shape. Behind her, the performance space remains visible, with instruments and decorations close by.
In the closer portrait, the costume becomes a frame around her face. The gold of the headdress catches the light, but it is her eyes that hold my attention. Small changes in expression are easier to see when the surroundings fall away.
The musicians bring another part of the scene into view. In the wider photograph they sit among their instruments, looking in different directions. One face is turned toward the camera while others remain occupied with the performance.
The last frame is closer again. Two musicians hold their instruments to their mouths, seated beside one another. The closer view draws attention back to what they are doing.
A still photograph cannot give us the sound. What it can hold is a hand position, a glance, the concentration on a face and the arrangement of people in a shared space. Together, these four pictures offer a little more than any one of them could alone.
More photographs and stories: Indonesia photographs · An open doorway in Kuta.
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