#jumpology

[schrodingersundog]

Philippe Halsman's Iconic Photography Jumpology and Surrealism

"When you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping and the mask falls so that the real person appears" ~ Philippe Halsman

Dali Atomicus, 1948

Philippe Halsman – Autoportrait, 1950

[rowdyyys]

In the 50s and for over 6 years, Philippe Halsman decided to ask some of the most popular celebrities not to sit for his photographs, but to jump. He thought ‘The subject, in a sudden burst of energy, overcomes gravity. He cannot simultaneously control his expressions, his facial and his limb muscles. The mask falls. The real self becomes visible. One has only to snap it with the camera’.

Liberating his subjects from traditional portraits, he called this the jumpology. You can find all of these in his Jump Book, where over 100 actors, artists and directors from that time can be seen in the air.

[weirdlandtv]

Three jumpers: Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot, all photographed by Philippe Halsman for his “Jump” series, or Jumpology as I believe it was called.

(The MM and BB ones are outtakes, as I’ve featured their jumps before.)

[princessgracekelly1956]

Daily Express - November 23, 1959

Gaitskell did - but Bevan didn’t!

YET GRACE KELLY DIDN’T MIND...

MR. PHILIPPE HALSMAN (right), who started all this jumping business, is an ingenious and thoughtful fellow. During the years he has been visiting the celebrities of the world and asking them to jump for him he has been putting in a moderate amount of mental exertion about the way they do it.

When Mr. Bevan was asked to jump he threw the photographer a suspicious look and refused. Mr. Halsman attributes this reluctance to the fact that the British are a seagoing nation. Rather charitable of him, really, since Mr. Bevan is not much given to pacing the poop, though he has rocked a few boats in his time.

But there was no shrinking by his skipper, Mr. Gaitskell. He jumped all right - it was shortly before he became leader of his party - and see how he jumped! Now hear the relevant principles of jumpology as put forward by Mr. Halsman.

Jumpers are broadly of two kinds - the Reachers and the Crouchers. The Reachers set themselves a target above them, the Crouchers try to clear "an obstacle."

Here we have one of each: the Politician and the Princess - though when Grace Kelly executed the charming manoeuvre on the right she had not yet married and shouldered the responsibilities of State.

To a jumpologist, reaching for the ceiling denotes ambition - reaching with one arm, a particular ambition, with both, general ambitiousness. Sometimes the arms seem to be supporting something; then the jumper feels he is the sole support of his family, his firm (or his party?) Open hands denote a mild, relaxed character.

To jump with the knees bent. like Marilyn Monroe, is to jump like a child. It means that somewhere deep down the jumper is a child still. But in a really energetic jump (and Miss Kelly certainly looks energetic) it can be a sign of fighting spirit and competitiveness.

And if, like the Duchess of Windsor and Grace Kelly, jumpers take off their shoes first it means they are worried that something might happen to them or their shoes.

So you can choose your interpretation. From these pictures Photonews, for its part, confidently draws the conclusion that Miss Monroe is not likely to become Leader of the Opposition, that Princess Grace is no Socialist, and that Mr. Gaitskell is no Marilyn Monroe.

[24hoursinthelifeofawoman2-blog]

[babyfreesoul]

“Don’t let anybody to ruin your inner joy or to interfere in your marvellous rhythm!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan

[anytimeinvitation]

Philippe Halsman, Jumpology. 

[thingsdavidlikes]

Millersburg by laurenlemon https://flic.kr/p/2njKDmZ