Movements of Air - The Photographs from Etienne-Jules Marey's Wind Tunnels

Movements of Air reprints Étienne-Jules Marey's breathtaking pictures of moving air and smoke, accompanied by essays by Georges Didi-Huberman and Laurent Mannoni. Marey's experiments with fluid motion introduced a world of movements and influenced scientists and artists. Didi-Huberman explores the philosophical debates surrounding the images, while Dombois and Oeschger create a collage from historical and contemporary material.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 20 May 2023
Publisher: Diaphanes AG

Movements of Air is a captivating book that presents two significant essays on Étienne-Jules Marey, published for the first time in English alongside his awe-inspiring images of moving air and smoke. This remarkable publication boasts over one hundred and fifty photographs and images, meticulously reproduced to showcase the breathtaking visuals captured by Étienne-Jules Marey during his scientific experiments between 1899 and 1901. To complement these captivating images, the book includes essays by Georges Didi-Huberman and Laurent Mannoni.

Mannoni begins by delving into Marey's experimental approach. As the founder of the "graphic method," Marey not only pioneered the development of an aerodynamic wind tunnel but also introduced a world of movements and turbulences through his photographs of fluid motion. These images have influenced countless scientists and artists throughout generations. Didi-Huberman further expands on the philosophical debates surrounding these aesthetically and technically instructive images. While Marey's primary focus was on graphic information, Didi-Huberman demonstrates how Marey's fascination with the flow of all things led him to adopt a photographic practice that evokes drags, streaks, expansions, and visual dances.

Furthermore, Marey's wind tunnel photographs themselves played a significant role in the history of images. Artists Dombois and Oeschger explore these "graphical" vortices of the past 120 years in the book, culminating in a captivating collage that blends historical and contemporary material with their own image-making within Dombois's wind tunnel at the Zurich University of the Arts.

Overall, Movements of Air is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of science, art, and history. Through its stunning visuals and thought-provoking essays, it offers a unique perspective on Étienne-Jules Marey's groundbreaking work and its enduring impact on the field of photography.

Weight: 762g
Dimension: 171 x 230 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783035805123