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Sexhibitionists
Photographs by James Stiles
January 15th-February 25th, 2011
Opening Reception Saturday January 15th 6-10pm
drkrm/gallery
is excited to present Sexhibitionists, photographer James Stiles
voyeuristic journey though the NYC fetish world of the 1980s and 1990s.
Sexhibitionists, is the first exhibition at drkrm/gallery's new
Downtown LA Gallery Row location and will be on display from January 15th
until February 25th, 2011 with an Opening Reception Saturday January 15th
from 6pm till 10 pm.
James Stiles photographs are “formal” portraits of the habitué
of New York City’s erotic culture. Perhaps a better term to describe
these subjects would be “sexual performers.” These images
are real-life portraits of people in their homes—or occasionally
in a private dungeon—revealing their true sexual nature for the
camera. These images include Sexhibitionists of many alternative lifestyles:
porn stars, transvestites, people from the BDSM world, strippers, and
drag queens and kings.
Stiles’ genuine interest and innocent acceptance of these varied
sexual lifestyles gained the respect and trust of most of his subjects.
In the 1980s he frequented the Hellfire S&M club and later
became the house photographer at Pandora’s Box, a premiere
S&M club in New York. Little by little, these sexhibitionists accepted
him into their world.
The works of Robert Mapplethorpe and Helmut Newton had a profound effect
on his style; the formal uncluttered design of Mapplethorpe’s compositions,
as well as Newton’s storytelling qualities. Stiles notes that Diane
Arbus was also a very strong influence, “The first shoots of this
series resembled her work in many ways. Later I changed my style to something
less cruel and more theatrical, but there is still some of her influence
in these images.”
James Stiles has been a working photographer for over 20 years specializing
in Fashion, Portraits and Still-life. He is a recent transplant to Los
Angeles from his home town of NYC. His work has been published and exhibited
internationally and nationally with such notable photographers as Robert
Mapplethorpe and Helmut Newton, as well as several solo shows Including
The MBM Gallery, SoHo, NYC. He received his BFA from The
School of Visual Arts and is currently teaching photography at Otis
College of Art & Design.
Sexhibitionists | Photographs by
James Stiles
Introduction by Annie Sprinkle
11"x8.5" 60 pg Softcover catalog OOP
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. drkrm/gallery is located at 727 S. Spring Street
in the Gallery Row district of Downtown Los Angeles.
Regular
gallery hours are Wens-Sat 12-6
All gallery events are free and open to the public.