| Philip
Fagan
The Business of Pleasure : New York City Brothels 1987-1991
September 8 – 29, 2007
ARTIST STATEMENT
After graduating high school, I attended the actors theater run
by a guy named Rudy Solari. I worked briefly with Stella Adler
who seemed more interested in me getting a haircut then helping
me with my acting abilities or lack there of. I did plays, worked
a little in TV. Went to NY and learned to smoke pot. Studied film
editing and film production. But the best part of my later teens
was meeting, falling in love and marrying Ann Gerchick. Ann and
I stayed married for 18 years. We lived together for nine years,
two of which were in Kabul Afghanistan. Me and Annie stayed close
friends all the way up till she died in July of 07. In fact i"d
like to dedicate this show to Ann. She thought my photographs
showed beauty, and at the same time sorrow in a business that
is constantly condemned but never understood. Ann said she could
never do what these girls did for a living but respected them
and admired their courage to work under a dark cloud of persecution,
exploitation and danger.
I
was working in Las Vegas doing something nefarious, as was usual
during a certain period of my life. I was also writing radios
commercials and doing quite well I might add. Annie called me
to invite me to Kabul. You see we were still married even thought
separated. We had traveled overland to India in happier days together.
And both found a certain kinship to Afghanistan. Ann got a teaching
g job at the AISK (American international school Kabul) while
I got a job running the American Teen Center and was drafted as
director and acting coach for AISK. What a blast! Some of the
plays we did we took on the road to New Delhi. I would say the
most content and at peace with my self were the years spent in
Afghanistan.
My
most productive time was in NY. If I was not inside photographing
the girls I was outside photographing the homeless guys or street
objects in the cracks of the city. The Chief of Police in Kabul
was looking for me in connection with a smuggling ring that was
raising money to help the Afghan rebels fight the Russians. A
romantic thought, indeed. But a little out of my league. After
leaving Kabul in the nick of time, I found myself in Washington
DC working for a group called the Afghanistan Relief Committee.
My job was to parade camels down Penn Ave, and sell bumper stickers
in front of the State Dept. "Free Afghanistan". The
money we raised went to a group of Doctors called Medicines San
Frontier (Doctors Without Borders). I loved Afghanistan. I loved
its' people I loved its scenic beauty, I loved the foreign service
parties, I loved the fact that Kabul was a tourist town. After
the revolution as they liked to call it, I was responsible for
making a huge change in the flow of traffic.
Fagan, Dallas and son Sam. Courtesy of Steven Silverstein.1992
I am a dad who has raised a 15 year old since he was 4. I go down
to Tijuana a lot. I like photographing down there. I miss Ann.
I miss Afghanistan. And that's about all there is to say.
PS:
Please
do not try to engage in the moralities of prostitution or the
exploitation of girls in an immoral business. For me it is like
arguing with a fundamentalist who has a bomb strapped to his body
whether there are "virgins in heaven.". The only virgins
I know of are in a brothel somewhere and they are not angels-
they are Calico Snakes.
Thanks to Tony Friedkin, Steven Silverstein and Steve Carver for
my technical abilities. John Matkowsky of drkrm for bringing life
to some pretty difficult negatives. Julie for her framing. Rafael
Serrano for showing John my photos and not asking for a finders
fee. And to the girls of 513 3rd Ave who gave up some $$$ to get
the joint across the street open.
The
Business of Pleasure will be on display through September 29th,
2007.
Drkrm. Gallery is an exhibition space dedicated to the display
and survey of popular cultural images, fine art photography, cutting
edge and alternative photographic processes. Regular gallery hours
are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm. Sunday 1 pm
- 4 pm
All gallery events are free and open to the public.
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