Archive for the ‘Striptease Burlesque’ Category
Monday, February 15th, 2010
Striptease Burlesque
“Most of these women have day jobs.”
I first stumbled upon the New York burlesque scene in 2004. Burlesque shows would take place in the backrooms of small downtown bars. For $5, you and 75 others crammed into speakeasy type rooms to watch Dirty Martini, Julie Atlas Muz, Little Brooklyn, and Amber Ray perform stripteases on broken down wooden stages. The stripteases ranged from elaborate sensual fan dances in lush costumes to in your face bump ‘n’ grind.
The broken down wooden stages still remain but the number of people who attend these burlesque shows have grown exponentially in a short time. The performances have spilled over from the backrooms to the entire city. Performers from all over the world now travel to New York to be seen on big stages ringed with velvet curtains and mock stages in the backroom of bars.
My interest in photographing burlesque performers wasn’t to highlight striptease. The nudity wasn’t what attracted me. What grabbed my attention was the characters and satire each performer brought on stage.
The majority of these women have day jobs. Hours after riding the crowded subways home from work they would be tassel twirling in front of a raucous New York crowd.
The purpose of my portraits was to show the persona of each performer. I wanted an intimate glimpse away from the stage and crowd. As if their character were walking the streets of New York at noon or midnight.
Tags: Exhibition, Gallery EF, Little Brooklyn, New York, Striptease Burlesque
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Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
..June 2007.. ..New York to Tokyo..
..It’s noon on Sunday. I can’t get my mind off that’s it’s midnight on the Edge of The World.
My exhibition is closing as I stare at an elderly pot bellied Russian man jump into the blue water across the pool. 2 years worth of work exhibited in one short month.
Tags: Asakusa, Exhibition, Exhibition Posters, Gallery EF, Little Brooklyn, Striptease Burlesque, Tokyo
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Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Review of Striptease Burlesque Photo Exhibition in Tokyo
The Weekender, Tokyo, Japan
Where Ya Been?
When Paule Saviano was growing up, he wanted to become a bike messenger. We’re glad he didn’t succeed.
At the ripe old age of 11, Saviano took up the camera and never put it down again. He took on every kind of work he could get, but settled into music photography for a long time, touring with Porno For Pyros, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins and a number of other bands until he grew tired of shooting more Stratocasters than people.
But in his show entitled “Striptease Burlesque” Saviano displays his portrait work, and it is here that he shines. The show has a little of both the striptease and the burlesque, and the photos have a wonderfully gritty gloss. All are portraits of models in various states of dress and undress, and in various locations. On his website, Saviano calls his photos a record of where he has been in his life, and those places range from street corners to bedrooms to dimly-lit stages. His colors and images call to mind the bubbles under bright red nail polish, the texture of a velvet curtain. And the wooden sanctuary of Gallery éf should make for a very interesting juxtaposition.
Paule Saviano: Striptease Burlesque (June 1–24) Gallery éf. Asakusa Station. Free. 11am–7pm. Closed Tue. Tel. 03-3841-0442. www.gallery-ef.com
Tags: Exhibition Review, Gallery EF, Striptease Burlesque, The Weekender, Tokyo
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Monday, January 11th, 2010
..May 2007 Tokyo, Japan..
Gallery EF
..I watched a girl sign the gallery guest book for an hour. I don’t know what she wrote because it was in Japanese. I appreciate the sincere interest everyone I spoke to at the opening showed. It’s been a good emotional experience.
All the struggles and tremendous expenses were worth it. The feeling was worth every Pound, $, or Yen. Now it’s time to dream it up all over again.
Tags: Asakusa, Exhibition, Exhibition Posters, Gallery EF, Striptease Burlesque, Tokyo
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Monday, January 4th, 2010
..June 2007 New York..
Little Brooklyn:
Sorry for the long radio silence. Congratulations on the Exotic World accomplishments. A couple of days before I left Tokyo I told friends Little Brooklyn will bring the crown back home this year. Was very close. Must have been a great performance. Now think I have fortune teller type of powers. It was great to hear your performance was a big success.
Thanks for the message about the gallery exhibition. I have to thank you once again for the opportunity to take that photo. It was the catalyst for the project. Prior to that photo all the other performers I was working with didn’t know where I was coming from with the project. I was seriously thinking about scrapping the project before I took that photo. I owe you a huge thank you.
As for Tokyo, the exhibition is still up for 10 more days. It was a large opening at the gallery. I was shocked at the reception and response to all of it. There were so many people at the opening Cherry Typhoon had to perform on in a small space in the gallery. The exhibition has gotten good reviews. The exhibition was a part of what they call photography month in Tokyo. There are about 400 galleries participating.
More good news is that the exhibition will be shown for a month in Shanghai. The Tokyo gallery has a sister gallery there. It’s all been a nice surprise. I have a lot of the small promotional fliers with your photo on it. I want to pass those along to you. Also want to show you the video tape of the exhibition and still photos. Your photos is hanging off the ceiling and is visible from the street. I stood outside the gallery on afternoon watching bikes pass and stare at the photo.
I’m fighting jet lag right now. But I hope to get back to a normal routine this weekend. Maybe next week we can meet up one night and I can give you all the fliers and show you the video tape. Thanks again. Sorry for being so hard to get in contact with. The exhibition was a long stressful but worthwhile process. Hope your well. Take care.
Paule
Tags: Gallery EF, Little Brooklyn, Shanghai, Striptease Burlesque
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Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
..May 2007 Tokyo, Japan..
Stills of Striptease Burlesque, Gallery EF, Tokyo, Japan
Tags: Asakusa, Cherry Typhoon, Crystal Swarovski, Exhibition, Gallery EF, Little Brooklyn, Ruby Valentine, Sparkly Devil, Striptease Burlesque, Tokyo
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Friday, December 18th, 2009
..May 2007 Gallery EF Tokyo, Japan..
Everyone who made this exhibition a reality at Gallery EF. Thank you.
Tags: Cherry Typhoon, Eva Violet, Exhibition, Gallery EF, Striptease Burlesque, Tokyo
Posted in Exhibition, Gallery EF, Striptease Burlesque, Tokyo | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
..December 2009 New York..
Since returning from Japan, I’ve been photographing Rose Wood. It’s an interesting break from photographing Hibakusha in Japan. A different experience. But it’s been moving. The portraits are becoming stronger emotionally. More comfort and vulnerability in the eyes.
I attempted to photograph Rose for the original Striptease Burlesque exhibition in Tokyo 3 years ago and than the exhibition that followed in Helsinki, Finland last winter. Scheduling never materialized.
It would have been nice to have her a part of the exhibition. But as I’ve progressed photographing her, I realize she is a part of her own project. Explaining Rose Wood in one photograph for the Striptease Burlesque project wouldn’t have told her whole story. There’s much more to Rose.
I’m not sure if this will be my next exhibited project. Right now, I’m concentrating on the photographs. We’ll see where the process leads.
Tags: Rose Wood, Striptease Burlesque
Posted in Rose Wood, Striptease Burlesque | 2 Comments »
