Stacy Kranitz: Blood Sport
Erica Stavis: Action/Reaction

December 1 – 31, 2010
Opening: Friday Dec 3, 6-11pm

THE BIG TOP – 3 Ring Circus Arts Education Center
1638 Clio Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-569-2700
Hours: Thu+Fri 2-6, Sat 12-5

Stacy Kranitz: Blood Sport
Presented with the violent spectacle, the camera is as versatile as it is potent. It can expose the aggressors of the world or aggrandize them; it can redeem victims or humiliate them further; it can create empathy in the viewer, render them complicit, or simply desensitize them. I have attempted to explore how these effects co-exist within images of violent subcultures.
My formal concern lies with the disconnect between the still image and the experience of being there along with the decisions I make to construct a significant moment. How does one represent human beings in all their moral nuances, rather than straightforward heroes and villains? With this question in mind I began to take photographs of Louisiana cockfighters. The fighters have allowed me the opportunity to examine the violent spectacle.
My photographs are based on a desire to circumvent the detached and ironic view of the subject currently common in portrait photography. They are not meant to be a straightforward celebration of a misunderstood subculture. Rather, I am trying to place both perceptions into context with one another so as to complicate the viewer’s judgment. To subvert these modes of viewing, I present portraits of the cockfighters that highlight the emotional bond they share with their bird. – Stacy Kranitz

Erica Stavis: Action/Reaction
Some people are able to feel moments of true clarity while senses are suffocated with the sights, sounds and smells of loud raucous music clubs. The photos in this series attempt to record the shifting space of the dance floor, the effect the venue imposes on the crowd and the relationship between performer and participant. Above all, I intend to capture the mercurial energy of people letting go amongst the madness.