CURVES AND CONTRASTS: THE CAMERA ART OF ROBERT STEELE

Rights Information
Year
1946
Reference
F23845
Media type
Moving image
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Rights Information
Year
1946
Reference
F23845
Media type
Moving image
Place of production
New Zealand/Aotearoa
Categories
Performance
Duration
0:05:10
Production company
Neuline Film Studios
Credits
Director: Robert Steele
Editor: Robert Steele
Camera: Les Fraser
Photography: John Tudehope
Dancers: Freda Stark
Dancers: Harold Robinson
Choreography: Harold Robinson
The Music Was Possibly Written: Ron Robbins

Artistic, stylised Adagio dancing by Freda Stark and Harold Robinson and one other man. They are naked and covered in gold paint.

“Harold choreographed the piece. It was designed to showcase Freda’s natural aptitude of standing still and displaying the perfect line of her body. Her arms were magical in that they presented a natural line. It took hours of filming to perfect.”
“Harold confirmed the film was only shown at Robert Steele’s private functions. John Tudehope described reaction to the film as ‘mixed’. ” (email from Dianne Miller, Freda Stark’s biographer)

“In presenting curves and contrasts, may I say that these studies are taken as experiments in lighting, all of them being in my favourite style of low key.” (Robert Steele)