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Dennis Dean: Within Reach ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Dennis Dean got his first camera at the age of fourteen, at which time he began his life-long passion for photography. In the beginning, though, photography was a hobby while Dennis pursued his artistic career as an actor and producer in the New York theater. It was there that he had an inspirational meeting with one of his idols, Andy Warhol, who gave him the push he needed to pursue photography full time. "Go for it," urged Warhol, "but make it eye-catching. Give them something to talk about, and leave them wanting more." Pursuing his dream as a full time photographer brought Dean to South Florida, where he finds himself surrounded by photographic opportunities with strong natural light and ample male beauty.
"I love photographing on black and white film. Visually it gives so much character to the photograph and you can focus more on what the subject is expressing." Dennis has achieved much local recognition doing shoots for various gay publications, and his work has also been published in national and international magazines. The inspiration of this polo themed project and book Within Reach came from the coupling of man and beast. "I love photographing horses, and being a sports fan I wanted to do a photo book that captures the game of polo - not just team playing, but what it takes to prepare the man and animal before game time, and especially the bonding between horse and groom, rider, and teammates." The title Within Reach is rooted in the classic game as well. "I wanted to title the book using terminology from the game, and players often used the phrase ‘it’s within your reach’ in order to determine which teammate should take possession of the ball." And Dean's images also visualize the multi-layered meanings behind that title. These photographs capture not so much the reality of playing the game of polo, but rather the essence of the athleticism of the players, the bonds between man and horse both on and off the field, the camaraderie of this intensely physical sport, and its inherent sensuality. Gay Art Gallery is proud to present this exclusive online exhibition of the original photos from Within Reach. These are printed to include the uncropped, artistic margins, or 'rough edges', that are part of Dennis' artistic vision. Consequently the actual image size is somewhat smaller than the indicated dimensions of each print. All prints are silver gelatin on fibre base paper and are signed by the artist. Not all of these photos appear the same in the book, but most do, and some may appear cropped or in variant poses. For
more information or to purchase, please email
us
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