EXHIBITION BOOK (including bio, artwork descriptions and prices) »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > July 02, 2012

PROVIDENCE, RI – Yellow Peril Gallery is pleased to present LET GO: MOMENT IN MOVEMENT, the serendipitous photographic journey of James Starkman as he followed a group of Parkour practitioners (known as traceurs) training in various urban environments in and around New York City, from Thursday, 16 August to Sunday, 9 September 2012. The Gallery Night Providence opening reception is Thursday, 16 August from 5PM to 9PM at Yellow Peril Gallery, 60 Valley Street #5, Providence, RI 02909.

Parkour, also known as l’art du déplacement (the art of displacement) or freerunning, is a physical discipline that originated in France; it involves training to overcome any obstacle within one’s path by adapting one’s movements to the environment. Simply put, Parkour is getting from point A to B in the shortest amount of time possible, often set in a city environment.

What began as an exploration of the visual elements of Parkour movement deepened into a personal inquiry for Starkman into the emotional and spiritual resonance of the images he spontaneously caught on film. The result is this arresting collection of “moments” in movement, simultaneously revealing aspects of both artist and subjects as they “let go.”

“In shooting LET GO: MOMENT IN MOVEMENT, what first caught my attention was the aerodynamic, dance-like quality of Parkour,” Starkman notes, “but what really intrigued me was a fearlessness in their faces.” He adds: “I tried to capture the metaphoric possibilities of their kinetic movement, and felt I was experiencing private moments with them.”

In both their technical and thematic concerns, the works comprising this exhibition draw inspiration from varied sources, including the Belgian surrealist René Magritte and his technique of portraying ordinary objects in unfamiliar spaces to suggest new meanings through poetic juxtapositions. Taken together, the pieces demonstrate Starkman’s fascination with the nascent physical, emotional and spiritual potentialities suggested by the interplay of these elements and trace the unfolding of his discovery of unexpected beauty.

At its core, LET GO: MOMENT IN MOVEMENT is a visual meditation on the rich metaphoric possibilities suggested by moments of framed kinetic movement. As the traceurs bound over walls and dive down staircases, they begin to redefine their relationship to their environment. As they commit to action they let go. Obstacles become opportunities, fear becomes surrender, and confinement becomes freedom ― not only for the traceurs, but for the viewer entering the action. With these moments of transformation, Starkman challenges us to examine our own physical and emotional relationship to the images.

Parkour artists Bullettrun, the subjects of Starkman’s photographs, will give impromptu performances at The Plant Courtyard during the opening reception. In the adjacent Studio, we will screen a video of Bullettrun practicing Parkour in the streets of New York City by Nadia Lesy, Bullettrun’s Artistic Director and Choreographer.

LET GO: MOMENT IN MOVEMENT first debuted at Lincoln Center’s Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery from January 28 – February 17, 2011, coinciding with the 39th Annual Dance on Camera Film Festival. The exhibition will run at Yellow Peril Gallery from Thursday, 16 August to Sunday, 9 September 2012. The Gallery Night Providence opening reception will be on Thursday, 16 August, from 5PM – 9PM.

About James Starkman
JAMES STARKMAN is a Canadian-born photographer and artist who lives in Brooklyn, New York. His photography combines a unique and creative aesthetic capturing subtle elements with light, composition and concept. James’s work has been commissioned by galleries, magazines, commercial companies, advertising agencies, and designers.  He is the owner of LightSpace Studios (lightspace.tv), a full service film and photography studio situated in a swanky industrial loft district of East-Williamsburg with good privacy for celebrities or high profile guests, casts and crew.

About Nadia Lesy / Bullettrun
NADIA LESY’s first Parkour show “Physical Graffiti” premiered at The Brooklyn Lyceum in 2008 to sold out audiences. The Village Voice called “Physical Graffiti” a jaw-dropping multimedia piece” and selected it for “Voices Choices.” Lesy has gone on to create the multi-media, Parkour performance group BULLETTRUN. As the artistic director of Bullettrun, her choreography and videos bring Parkour from the streets to the stage. In 2009, Bullettrun performed at the 13th annual New York International Fringe Festival. Once again, the reaction to her work was overwhelmingly positive. Bullettrun received an “Overall Excellence Award”, for “Unique Theatrical Event” from the NY Fringe Festival Committee. On November 2, 2009 Bullettrun performed at New York City Center, during the America Dances! Career Transition for Dancers Anniversary Jubilee. Lesy’s choreography and experimental videos have appeared in the Hampshire Alumini Reel, The Physical Graffiti Show, AMPsterdam Multimedia Festival, V-Brooklyn Video Festival, D.U.M.B.O./ White Wave Festival, Williamsburg Film Festival, Williamsburg Art and Historical Society Dance Festival, Captured Dance Video Festival at Dance Theater Workshop and the Dance On Camera Festival. Lesy graduated from Hampshire College in 1999 with a B.A. in dance and video studies, and she received her MFA in 2009 from Long Island University’s New Media and Performing Arts Program.

About Yellow Peril Gallery
YELLOW PERIL GALLERY is located at The Plant, a historic mill complex in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The Gallery strives to foster modern art critiques on popular culture and society from established and emerging artists in the United States and abroad. We aspire to exhibit provocative and visually arresting artwork created specifically to ignite conversations long after viewers have left the building. Artists that we represent share our commitment to social responsibility, and a percentage from the sale of all artwork is donated to a charitable organization of the Artists’ choice. For more info about future exhibitions, visit www.yellowperilgallery.com.

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If you’d like more information about this press release, or to schedule an interview with James Starkman, please contact V Souvannasane at +1 917 655 1497 or e-mail at vs@yellowperilmedia.com.