Hawke: Wilma; Barn Owl, 2005-2006 C-print, 30 x 20 inches Michelle Elzay Seconds Steven Kasher Gallery is pleased to present "Seconds", photographic works by New York–based artist Michelle Elzay. "Seconds" will include selections from two of Elzay's recent series: "Hawke" and "Guarded", both of which focus on esoteric sports that were once marks of social preeminence. Michelle Elzay's work was recently the subject of a solo show in the prestigious MATRIX series at the Wadsworth Atheneum. She was also included in PS1's 2005 "Greater New York". The ongoing series "Hawke" features raptors used for falconry in the New York area. Falconry, the world's oldest outdoor sport, originated in the Middle East 4,000 years ago and is still known in Saudi Arabia as the sport of kings. "Guarded", Elzay's most recent series, consists of portraits of classical fencers. It was shot in collaboration with New York's Martinez Academy of Arms. The details of how classical fencing is practiced have remained almost unchanged since its origin during the transition between modern and medieval Europe. Both dueling and falconry developed as highly ritualistic embodiments of the class values of masculine elites. The sports share a similar connotation of violence, and success in each depends on a combination of skill and chance. In both series, Elzay isolates her subjects from their context by using a monochromatic backdrop and a reduced visual photographic palette. This compositional restraint contrasts with the subjects' highly articulated, lavish practices. In 1845, the French critic Barby d'Aurevilly described dandyism as a heroic gesture of decadence. The goal of the dandy is to always produce the unexpected - to revolt while toying with the accepted conventions of good taste. The dandy's success is in the subtlety of his form and in the indelible impression he makes. Such is also the case with the subjects Elzay photographs. Exhibition: January 18 - February 24, 2007 Gallery hours: Tues-Sat 11 am - 6 pm Steven Kasher Gallery 521 West 23rd Street, Second Floor USA-New York, NY 10011 Telephone +1 212 966 3978 Fax +1 212 226 1485 Email info@stevenkasher.com www.stevenkasher.com |
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