Tanja Milbourne’s carefully crafted photograph depicts a professional dancer suspended in mid-air against a black background. Printed on satin-finish paper, the image is then drawn on by hand with white pigment ink.

She approaches the drawing process as a form of meditation, allows each line to guide her, following it wherever it wants to go. The resulting texture is organic and dynamic, enveloping the dancer in a delicate embrace.

The dancer holds a pose that hovers ambiguously between tension and release. The figure appears as though it might be falling, yet the delicate lines surrounding the body create the impression of being held, suspended, or floating.

Title notes
Assemble refers to a movement in classical ballet.
Laccaria is a genus of mycorrhizal fungi that form symbiotic relationships with plants.