The Genius of Max Waldman. Cont'd.

 

MARAT/SADE: Performed by Glenda Jackson and Ian Richardson. Directed by Peter Brook for the Royal Shakespeare Company.Photograph by Max Waldman, 1966.

The entwined bodies of Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins in Afternoon of a Faun, and the romantic tragedy of Gelsey Kirkland and Ivan Nagy in Romeo and Juliet all give testimony to Waldman's artistry. Dance finally provided him with financial independence. People wanted photographs of dancers. The dancers wanted to be immortalized by Waldman and they happily came down to his studio, costume in hand, ready to dance for their audience of one. In 1977 , Max Waldman gave a lecture at the International Center of Photography in which he compared his images to the classics in art, relating his thoughts and theories on art. That he owed a debt to others, he readily acknowledged; their inspiration gave sustenance to his beautiful photographs of torment and passion- still images of movement. Frances Alenikoff said of Waldman "His genius transmutes the poetic essence of one art form into that of another- making the fleeting moments seem timeless." At the conclusion of his presentation Waldman remarked," What you see here are just the ramblings of my own mind. I don't know where it all comes from but let me quote a passage by Galileo in THE ASSAYER that I have always loved:
Talking about sound and the nature of things, Galileo wrote, 'Therefore I should not be denied pardon if I cannot determine precisely the manner in which comets are produced, especially as I never boasted that I could, knowing that it may occur in some way far beyond our power to imagine. The difficulty of understanding how the cicada's song is formed even when we have it singing to us right in our hands, is more than enough to excuse us for not knowing how has a comet is formed at such immense distance. My primary purpose is to set forth those questions which have appeared to us, to throw doubt upon the opinions previously held, and to propose some new considerations.'"
To explore theater , dance and the nude in a new light, as Galileo explored the nature of the universe was Max Waldman's legacy to us. He died March 1,l981 at the age of 61.