Standing in front of this work, it initially appears quite subdued. We can see this interesting assortment of teacups all facing in different directions. But, when we begin to look more carefully, the work begins to unfold. The angular handles remind me of arms akimbo, the curvature of the teacups are like limbs in movement. The photograph suddenly begins to transform into a serenely-compositioned dance scene.
Olive Cotton created this photograph in 1935 when she was working as a studio assistant for the influential photographer, Max Dupain. Her job for him was to look after the studio operations, but, after hours, she was able access the studio’s photography equipment, which is how she came to make this work. Sourcing these cups from the local Woolworths, Cotton, as in her photography, saw their beauty and potential. She then manipulated them with light so they could transform into something utterly imaginative
Light became Cotton’s central preoccupation. She became enraptured with its atmospheric, transformative quality. She moved the teacups around until they cast shadows that were long and wide. The teacups suddenly began to look like women dancing. Are they the bodies? Are they the faces? Are they headless? Are they all these different things? To me, light and shadow make the teacups feel almost as if they are on a stage. There's no background detail either, so the work feels modern. Cotton really demands us to search for life’s dancers, the movement of bodies, and marvel at the shadows we all create at different times of the day – in what would otherwise be a mundane teacup.
