1013 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40204
(502) 303-7259
Website: garnerlarge.com
Hours: Thursday-Saturday: 1pm – 5pm,

All Photography is Fetish

Featuring Mary Yates

Website: vividblack.net

Dates: September 8 – October 8, 2023
Events: Opening Reception: September 17, 6 pm – 8 pm with an Artist Talk at 7pm

Fetish can be a desire linked to an object, activity or part of the body not typically associated with sexual desire. Fetish is also defined as an inanimate object used for worship or considered to be inhabited by a spirit. My definition of fetish falls somewhere in between the two. The fetish object here is the photograph itself, imbued with the spirit of the individual and the process. The display of photography also involves a type of voyeurism. I’m in a position to see the individuals I photograph in a way they cannot see themselves. When making a picture I seek to find the individual’s essence and capture their sensuality, hopes, dreams, and desires. I want to communicate a little bit of who they are in an intimate, respectful way that brings the viewer(another voyeur!) into a greater understanding of humanity, and all the wonderful ways that individuals are unique.

When I photograph people, I hope that our shared experience will nurture something open and wonderful. I work with a concept in mind and communicate it, so that the other person can fully understand the vision I have and provide their input. There is an intimacy that exists between photographer and human subject. Posing in front of a camera and taking direction requires trust: trust that the photographer will be respectful of the subject’s vulnerability, and photograph them in a way that empowers rather than exploits. Trust that the subject’s comfort, both physical and mental, will be respected. The photographer must also trust that the individual being photographed will accompany them on a creative journey and allow things to unfold organically.