July 14- August 5, 2012
Rooms 1 & 2:
Ves Pitts
Ghost Walk
Ves was born in Andalusia, Alabama. He has lived in New York for the last 18 years. Since moving to New York he has been documenting gay nightlife, theater, art, and burlesque performances. He has also photographed throughout the Deep South and cities like London, Cairo, Paris and Los Angeles. He is represented by the Christopher Henry Gallery in New York. In 2008 he had his second solo exhibition at the gallery called “Cake Bomb” and a group show at London’s Act Art 6. In 2012 he had a solo show at the gallery called MEOW! which included the video collaboration with Joe Jeffreys called "Alter Altars". In 2008 he published "Two Cigarette and a Wig" a photography book. In 2009 he published two photo books “Tripping the Light Fantastic” and “Furious Fun”. In 2010 he published “Bang! Bang!” , "RED" a book of images of Susanne Bartsch parties, and "House of the Waning Moon''. "House of the Waning Moon" documented the last days of a haughtily and sad spiritual house in the lower east side of New York. His photography has appeared in newspapers and websites like The New York Times, Village Voice, New York Magazine, My Comrade.com, East Village Boys.com and other websites blogs. He frequently participates in slide presentations at New York’s Webster Hall and in 2009 “Drag Show Video Verite’ at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walters Auditorium and more recently at the Tate Modern in London. Currently, he is working on a second insulation of Alter Altars to be filmed in New York 2012.
Alter/Altars is a video happening. Eleven of New York City’s top performance artists, including Penny Arcade, Poison Eve, Gazelle, Nicholas Gorham, James Habacker, Inbred Hybrid Collective, Joseph Keckler, Kyle Kupres, Pearl McLove, Gerry Visco, and Rose Wood, were invited by videographer Joe E. Jeffreys and photographer Ves Pitts to sit in front of a mirror and alter themselves through any means desired. This video alters the results in speed and direction. Alone during their process except for an unmanned video camera witness, the artists’ private transformations are screened simultaneously and silently in a grid pattern. Like panels of an altar screen, these multiple intimate solo acts of becoming and unbecoming compete for attention as they hypnotically unfold.
Joe E. Jeffreys is a videographer whose work has screened at the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City and the Tate Modern in London as well as festivals worldwide. He produces Drag Show Video Verite (www.dsvv.tv) a project that documents, preserves and screens the moving image record of male and female impersonation.
vesphotography@mac.com myspace.com/vesphotonyc
Room 3:
Sally Heller & Nina Schwanse
Lewdicrous
In “Lewdicrous”, Sally Heller and Nina Schwanse explore the language of sexuality through the ubiquitous symbol of the sex goddess. Presented in voluptuous yet evasive poses, this modern day idol speaks of forbidden promises and impending desire. Through still images and video, both artists focus on the choreographed gesture of the female as she addresses her audience.
Room 4:
John Otte
Falling Beauty
The Front hosts an exhibition of recent paintings and collages by artist/curator, John Otte. These works are enlarged and digitally printed canvases, produced from smaller photographs and collages, which are then retouched, hand-painted, and in some cases augmented with found objects. These pieces reflect Otte's ongoing interest in change through the effects of time, weather, human interaction and folly.
John Otte, born in Virginia Beach, VA, is an artist/curator based in New Orleans, LA. Recent curated exhibitions include: ZEN DIXIE, a group installation presented by Driver Phillips Studio, Atlanta, GA, June 15 - July 15, 2012; CALIGULA, a multi-media installation of artworks by Wesley Stokes at Parse Gallery, New Orleans, June 1 - 29, 2012; Constant Abrasive Irritation Produces The Pearl, A Disease Of The Oyster - Lenny Bruce, 2011-12 at The Pearl, a satellite exhibition of Prospect.2 New Orleans, Oct. 22, 2011 - Jan. 29, 2012; SUMMER FALLS at Whitespace Gallery, Atlanta, Aug. 19 - 29, 2009; and ENTR'ACTE at Bush Antiques, a satellite exhibition of Prospect.1 New Orleans, Nov. 1, 2008 - Jan. 18, 2009.