Barbara Nitke: American Ecstasy

November 29 – December 2, 2012
Opening + Booksigning: Friday, Nov 30, 6-9pm
PhotoNOLA Reception: Sunday, Dec 2, 6-9pm

Press Street HQ
3718 St. Claude Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70117
801-708-2699
By appointment

Barbara Nitke worked as a set photographer on pornography shoots in New York City from 1982 – 1991. American Ecstasy is a collection of fine art photography she produced during that time, shot during and in between takes, during breaks, the long durations actors and crew spent waiting for another scene to finish. Nitke’s photographs do not romanticize pornography, but the empathetic eye with which she portrays her subjects complicates our preconceptions about the people involved, finding humor, humanity, camaraderie, and even beauty among what many consider a base industry.

Nitke will present her work in person during a launch event for the American Ecstasy monograph at the Press Street Headquarters on Friday, Nov. 30 at 6pm.

This is a joint exhibition in conjunction with Barrister’s Gallery (2331 St. Claude Ave.), which will also display Nitke’s American Ecstasy images from Nov. 10 – Dec. 2, with an opening reception from 6-9pm on Saturday, Nov. 10.

Nitke is a New York-based artistic and commercial photographer who has exhibited widely and been featured in publications such as The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Harper’s. She is past president of the Camera Club of New York (2002 – 2006) and a current member of the faculty of the School of Visual Arts, since 1992.