a center for creative development
TOPAZ ARTS presents inAction: the Virtuosity of Presence
featuring 40+ New York-based choreographers and dancers:
on view July 7 through July 27, 2013
opening reception: Sunday, July 7, 6-9pm
TOPAZ ARTS, 55-03 39th Ave,Woodside, NY: directions >
Viewing hours: Saturdays 12-4 or by request info@topazarts.org
inAction: the Virtuosity of Presence is a collection of portraits of dancers from the well-established professional to the emerging artist. Presented at TOPAZ ARTS, this project is created by UK-based portrait photographer Sylvain Guenot in collaboration with Whitney V. Hunter and the 40+ dancers & choreographers photographed. With the focus of photographing the young dancer to the established artist, portraits of a cross-section of the diverse NYC dance community were gathered through the network of dance artists during two recent visits to New York. Rather than photographing the dancers in performance, images of the artists were taken in private environments, taking great care in using minimal external elements as subtle tools for composition and artistic insight. Focusing solely on the presence of the dancer, this new series of large-format prints offers the viewer a window into the heart and mind of the artist.
See the list of artists photographed here >
All Images Copyright Sylvain Guenot © 2013
About the Artist:
Sylvain Guenot is an internationally travelled, UK-based portrait photographer, from Burgundy (France). He has been receiving portrait commissions for over 10 years, and in 2006, was elected ARPS (Associate of The Royal Photographic Society). His works have been featured in many exhibitions in England, and he is currently working on a series of portrait commissions in Hong Kong and Singapore. InAction: The Virtuosity of Presence, conceived and created in collaboration with NY-based artist and independent curator, Whitney V. Hunter, marks his first New York solo exhibition. InAction… is a series of portraits of New York-based dancers which spans the whole dance experience from the emerging, established, and the veteran artist – “the dancers are all wonderfully talented and inspiring people who have been a delight and privilege to photograph.”
Artist Statement: I am fascinated by people and I have a passion for both black and white and color photography; these two interests come together in my portrait work, which for me is not only an endless exploration of the many facets of human character but also the means of my artistic expression.
My work offers the viewer a window to my perception of the sitter. My approach is subtle and suggestive rather than explicit and literal. I am always seeking to vary my approach to the sitter and to his or her personal world. So many things, the quality of light, the abstracted background (and foreground), even the very smallest of details can serve to reflect the subtleties of individual psychology. My choice is to create an image involving a person rather than an image of a person, thusly creating a “peoplescape”.
About the Curator:
Whitney V. Hunter is a NY-based interdisciplinary performance artist and independent curator from Chicago, IL. He creates and curates work for the stage, gallery, and alternative spaces, and directs his performance collective Whitney Hunter[MEDIUM]. Whitney has performed with the Martha Graham Dance Company from 2003 – 2006. Additionally, he has worked in the companies of Pearl Lang, Rod Rodgers, Pascal Rioult, Reggie Wilson, Dagmar Spain, Doug Hamby and with Kankouran West African Dance Company. Whitney holds a BFA in Theatre Arts/Dance from Howard University, an MFA in New Media Arts and Performance from Long Island University where he is also adjunct professor in the dance program, and is presently a David Driskell Ph.D. Fellow in Art Theory and Aesthetics at Institute for the Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA).
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