Tony Nandi, ARPS
Tony photographed the performance arts for almost forty years – with a special interest in dance. He was intrigued by the challenge of conveying a dynamic time-based, three dimensional, emotionally charged creative production into a two-dimensional image. His ultimate intention was always, through timing and composition, to invite and engage the viewer to sense the physical, spatial and emotional experience of the performance.
In Tony’s work, it never meant that dancers needed to be suspended in the air or frozen in time while dashing about the stage, but rather to capture an expression through movement, sharing the emotional experience of the performer, or as a viewer, anticipating the performer’s movement and intent.
In the first instance his images were taken for marketing, documentary or press purposes, but until his retirement in 2010 Tony also had a successful career as an academic -teaching at Goldsmiths University of London, Central Saint Martins and for twenty years as Head of Photography at what is now the University of West London. He became an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) in 2018.
Since Tony’s sudden death from pancreatic cancer in 2020, his wife Julie has continued to curate his professional archive and ensure that his considerable body of work remains in the public domain.
In recognition of his role as Deal Music & Arts’ official photographer and to continue his legacy of work with young photographers, DM&A launched the Tony Nandi ARPS Photographic Award in June 2022.
Along with other seminal dance photographers, Phoenix Dance Theatre will be featuring some of Tony’s work for the company as part of their 40th anniversary celebrations. Copies of their commemorative book 40 Years of Phoenix: A Photographic Journey will be available from 27th January 2023 when the book and a virtual exhibition charting the company’s four decades will be launched at the Phoenix Dance Theatre HQ in Leeds. For more information on this event please see the Phoenix website: https://www.phoenixdancetheatre.co.uk/