Ingrid Bugge Captures the Essence of Ballet in Her Captivating Images.

There’s something quite mysterious about the world of ballet, from the reclusive commitment to the intense strength required to the poetically graceful act itself – we find it all fascinating, and so does Danish visual artist Ingrid Bugge. Inspired by two years of observing The Royal Danish Ballet, Bugge produced ‘The Essence of Ballet’, a photographic collage series that explores the mystery, poetry and drama associated with the art of dance.

It’s Bugge’s unique technique that makes her work interesting – she manipulates the images and printing process to create visuals that look more like classical paintings than photographs in their composition, colouring and expression. She edits her photographs in Photoshop, viewing them as digital paintings by using light and texture tools to soften them. The images are pigment-printed on acid-free cotton, which Bugge then personally varnishes. The end result is ethereal and perfectly captures the deeply layered essence of ballet.

[Images courtesy of Ingrid Bugge.]