Marey and the moving animal

Photography allows for the eye to see what it cannot normally see. Marey’s nineteenth century photographs depict animal locomotion in a slower rate than that of the human eyes. The wings of the birds expand from side to side, revealing fractions of seconds. The ghost-like images were done for scientific experiment to further understand
animal movement.

I believe Marey’s photographs are poetic and beautiful more so than scientific documents of natural history.

What is it about the moving animals? I believe moving animal suggest life. We understand something is alive if it moves. A rock is not as interesting to observe for long periods of time because it cannot move. Also, if it doesn’t move, it doesn’t do anything. It just sits there. On the other hand, ones sight is easily lost on an aquarium with constantly moving fish and soothing sounds. This may be why film, with the moving image, easily gets my eyes to look. The static photograph, however, freezes time to invite the eyes to scrutinize and contemplate specific moments.

Marey’s photographs of animals are suspended in another time, a time that in real life we cannot detect, and ask us to contemplate in spatiality and movement of animals.