Ann Liv Young at DUCKIE Gay Shame and Lesbian Weakness

I dont intend this blog to just be for my nude non Facebook friendly photos, however here we go again! For this years Gay Pride (anti-pride party) I was shooting for Duckie at their annual ball of FABulousness of course! and amongst all the wonderful stuff to see and do including LEGENDry CHRISTEENE (see here for pics of them!) we had the AMAZING dance company that is Ann Liv Young!

What emerged was a full on dynamic ritualistic animalistic performance of beautiful nudity in many shapes and forms... I think the pictures tell the story, however the live experience was something else!! As the performance grew and grew moving into the crowded audience and bringing some of them naked up to the stage too - this was a HAPPENING of mammoth proportions! and with the projections reflecting from stage to audience, everyone was truly involved...

 

It was a total joy to shoot this performance - making pictures from something so organic and exciting - you can't beat the liveness of this kind of work but it is important to have some kind of document - my aim was to capture the energy and create a beautiful visual from what was before me... The second half found me on the stage with the performers fully immersed...

   

   

SIN IN MY HEART - DARKROOM

SIN IN MY HEART was a 3 day exhibition and event with an invite only policy due to the adult nature of much of the work. The ethos was as much to encourage discussion around the themes of the exhibition and to unite artists from various parts of the country and internationally as well as to show the work and have a party. Over 3 days this worked really well with people coming back after the initial opening night to absorb and revisit pieces and to meet the artists...

As well as having work on the wall I did one of my DARKROOM photo-booth installations throughout the event which was a huge success - I couldn't have wished for a more enthusiastic crowd and interest grew and grew over the 3 days as word got about and people showed off their prints... I was initially a bit worried that some of my raunchier peices on the wall might scare people of, but once they realised how unitimidating it is and actually how liberating the experience was for others who had dared to enter and saw their beautiful prints I was inundated! From intimate portraits and classic nudes to couples kissing and gay orgy scenes, I saw all that manchester had to offer me this weekend and it was glorious!

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Not only did I exhibit work and do live photography but from that I have a new body of work so it really was a great success. Working in the context of a gallery rather than a club night provided the time and space to be more creative and to form genuine bonds and relationships with some of the participants, particularly those who revisited me on the Sunday afternoon...

Below are some of the hilites from the weekend...

Nudes - most people dont expect to do a full nude when they enter the DARKROOM but something about the atmosphere in our intimate little den and the opportunity to do something artistic that they haven't done before in a safe environment tends to make them go for it...

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Couples - there is normally a driving force coercing the other in the case of couples and it's interesting to observe their interactions, for example one girl insisted her partner was a total prude and needed to do this, however he didn't need much encouragement to take his clothes off! Some came in with an idea and directed their partner...

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Groups - things did get a little steamy at times, participants were so involved with each other that they seemed unaware of the camera making for some beautiful natural images...

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In the Shower - Participants enjoyed this extra aspect to the DARKROOM and were quite playful with it, it was also interesting to see how the light changed as it reflected of the white...

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I also enjoyed having longer with some of the participants - this is George Mellor who is a young artist I met through the show, we bonded in the DARKROOM and enjoyed collaborating on a a few experiemental ideas while the show went on next door...

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Portraits - due to the nature of this show, I think more people stripped off than usuual, however we did make some clothed portraits, an area that I would like to develop with future photobooths and different lighting...

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SIN IN MY HEART

SIN IN MY HEART is an exhibition produced and curated by Two Little Birds - Paul Darling and Peter Gwyn. The show deals with themes of sex, death, religion and sin and will feature artists from London, Manchester, New York and Berlin.  SIN IN MY HEART will be a three day art event - 23rd /24th /25th May 2014 , with no actual “launch” as each day will be a new launch – like a private party for artists and art enthusiasts . 

TIMES (Friday 23rd 6 pm – 10 pm, Saturday 24th 6 pm – 10 pm and Sunday 25th 12 noon – 6 pm ).

VENUE = top floor art space at the Northern Quarter’s Kraak Gallery, 11 Stevenson Square, Manchester M1 1DB.

For this show I will be exhibiting some previously unseen images from my DARKROOM series, made live at art and club events over the last few years. This is the first opportunity I have had to exhibit this imagery, as some of it is quite explicit and I am excited about the responses and conversations that it will hopefully generate. Some may question whether some of the peices are art or porn, although I am very clear that they are art both in the context that they are made and the end results which echo old masters painting with its use of chiaroscuro and soft focus from the long exposures taken. My photobooth installations offer participants the space and opportunity to become the artwork and experience new things, they are described as liberating and fun!

As well as having work on the wall I also have my own little room which will be transformed into a 'DARKROOM' photobooth for the duration of the event - I will be inviting guests to make pictures in the dark by night and then on the sunday afternoon I will strip it back and try some portraits in the light... Oh and there's a shower in there so that could be fun - 'shower portraits' anyone?! I'm thinking Psycho!! I intend to blog throughout the event with updates from the photobooth so watch this space!! and if you want to come please get in touch via the event page https://www.facebook.com/events/667825859920985/