Emily Reilly / Dramaturg / December 2016
Faces of Downtown Scene is a portrait project dedicated to New York’s experimental performance community.
Over the past two years, while working as a photographer for off-off Broadway theater and dance, Maria Baranova invited dancers, choreographers, actors, producers, playwrights, designers, and directors to her Gowanus studio for a portrait session and conversation. Using a medium format film camera, and in front of a signature black background with only the natural light in her studio, Maria has captured over 200 subjects, including Ivy Baldwin, Yanira Castro, Meg Harper, Bobbi Jene Smith, and more, revealing the makers of this unique community of artists in New York.
Maria Baranova is known for photographing downtown theater and dance in New York. Through this she gained a unique access to the experimental performance community, and expanded her photographic work to portraits in her long-term project, Faces of Downtown Scene. Maria has photographed performance at dozens of venues, including Performance Space New York, New York Live Arts, MANA Contemporary, MoMA PS1, The Invisible Dog Art Center, FIAF, Watermill Center, and many more. Select publications include The New York Times, Time Out New York, Village Voice, Theatre Magazine, The New Yorker, Exeunt Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, BOMB Magazine, Boston Globe, among others. This summer, Maria will be in residence at the Watermill Center for the 2ndconsecutive year.
Website: www.facesofdowntownscene.com
Instagram: @photo_by_baranova
Featuring a Special Performance by Witness Relocation/Dan Safer
Photo by Sharkey Weinberg
Surveys The Prairie of Your Room // Witness Relocation/Dan Safer
A duet about when things could go in any number of directions and you’re not quite sure which one is right. Things that could happen in hotel rooms. ASMR recordings. Trying to do whats right. Trying to be happy when everything has gone to hell. Dancing.
Witness Relocation formed in 2000 and make shows ranging from fully scripted plays to original dance/theater pieces to many things in between. They are a resident company at La Mama and have performed all over the world.They're led by Dan Safer, who used to be a gogo dancer and now teaches at MIT.
Directed, Choreographed and Performed by Dan Safer
Co-Created and Performed by Ae Andreas
Original Music by Heather Christian
Original Text by Jeremy O. Harris
Friday, January 4
6:30pm
On View
January 4–February 16, 2019
Opening Reception
Friday, January 4
5:30–8:30pm
Special Performance by Witness Relocation/Dan Safer
Friday, January 4
6:30pm
Admission
Free
Location
The Main Gallery
51 Bergen St.
Gallery Hours
Thursday–Saturday, 1–7pm
Sunday, 1–5pm