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Electric BurlesqueTM is a body of work that focuses on a small piece of the very large traditional and neo burlesque scene in Seattle, a burgeoning hotbed of burlesque and cabaret performers. I sometimes feel like I see the world a little differently than most other people, which is a perspective for which I am grateful. When photographing a performer while they are performing I try to capture what I am seeing, which is the emotion and passion they express in their interaction with the audience. Prints are stylized photographs taken during live performances that are printed directly onto acrylic creating a 3D effect and hand crafted into backlit art. Limited edition prints are available in various sizes and backlit or non-backlit versions. Custom colors and sizes are also available as well as traditional prints on exhibition photo paper, for this please contact me here. Electric BurlesqueTM book is available here |
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#1 Anticipation
Whiskey Troublepants Bliss |
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#2 Dreamlike This is my Sad Sailor Nautical act. It's performed to a song by CoCo Rosie, one of my ultimate kindred spirits in art and sound.
The story in my head deals with the loss and overwhelming heartache that might come from having a longtime lover lost at sea, from having a sea spirit who keeps calling you from far away and haunting you in every wave or storm.
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#3 Candy Striper This playful and sweet act was Bunny Monroe's first number performed outside of the troupe The Atomic Bombshells Burlesque. In that troupe I go by the name Ruby Mimosa.
Bunny Monroe |
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#4 Delicious This number was originally created as a duet for myself and my good friend Fuchsia FoXXX.
Sassy Delure |
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#5 Intergalactic Diva This act was conceived and directed by Kitten LaRue, for The Atomic Bombshell's: Lost in Space show. It was an extremely fun and fluid collaboration.
It felt so glamorous to simply pose and be stripped by someone else. I felt like a true intergalactic diva, powerful and otherworldly. Waxie Moon |
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#6 The Draw There is great power in revealing one's body in a directed, intentional way to an audience. The act of revealing directs the undivided focus of the audience to the body part or object in question. It is perhaps the most potent element of any given burlesque performance. By creating desire and then inviting the audience to share in enjoying all or any of her body, a burlesque performer exercises power and influence over the attention and focus of the audience. She is free to infuse this attention with whatever messages or imagery she wishes to incorporate into her act. Jesse Belle-Jones |
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#7 Time Travel This act explores the whimsy of time travel in performance art, taking the audience to the era of swing, martinis and cigarettes.
Whiskey Troublepants Bliss |
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#8 The Shimmy The art of tassel twirling developed as burlesque dancers started attaching decorative elements to their pasties (which are, by the way, dancer's response to laws that stated nipples could not be exposed in public). The first person to employ tassel twirling in a burlesque act is said to be Carrie Finnell, who was a dancer in the 50s and 60s. She had been a Minsky's Girl. Minsky's Burlesque was a brand of burlesque presented by the four Minsky brothers beginning in 1912 and ending in 1937 in New York. Minsky's shows were often declared obscene and outlawed, but in fact they were rather tame by today's burlesque standards. There are many ways to twirl tassels on pasties. There is the shimmy, the bounce, the backbend, over the head. The options are almost limitless, and the results always exciting! Polly Wood |
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#9 Conceal A deeply empowering aspect of burlesque is the performer's choice of when, how and whether to reveal her body to an audience. While stripping and titillation are key aspects to a burlesque performance, the manner in which the performer cultivates desire is entirely up to her. The choice to reveal can be as compelling as the choice to conceal. Sharing one's body with an audience celebrates the human form as beautiful and sexual at the same time as it celebrates a woman's power to share or withhold her body. Jesse Belle-Jones |
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#10 An Army of Lovers Cannot Lose One of the things I love about burlesque is that I can put anything I want on stage. My burlesque persona is a highly concentrated and enhanced version of myself. One of the things that burlesque has done for me is helped me to become more aware of, and embrace, all the aspects of my sexuality and sexual orientation. Through presenting myself and inviting objectification of myself, I've become aware of who I really am." Polly Wood |
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#11 The Glove There are more than 100 ways to remove a glove. Glove removal in burlesque is a simple, yet essential part of the art of the tease. Taking a common, everyday act and making it a spectacle is the root of burlesque, which integrates parody and satire, and can be mixed with glamour, narration, and humor. This act is more of a conceptual piece performed to Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. Rather than a narrative act, it is movement driven. I wanted the audience to basically just take in and enjoy the beauty of the costume and the ethereal and whimsical movement. The costume is a fusion of stylized 'Marie Antoinette' costuming with a touch of Madonna-on-the-Blonde-Ambition Tour flare! Lady Ta Tas |
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#12 Barbarella This photo is from The Atomic Bombshells' Lost In Space show. I considered it a great honor and privilege to assume the costume of Barbarella, the most revered galactic icon in science fiction history. Of course, this is my vision of what the Barbarella of 2010 would be like. Honey D. Luxe |
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#13 Mucha This number was inspired by the Art Nouveau era and in particular the artist Mucha who's images surrounded me in my home as I was growing up. The number is performed to the song "Blackout" by Muse and I move through it like I'm moving through syrup, slow and sensuous, so that each moment is like a moving painting. I love playing with different movement qualities and with time. At first I thought this number would be too slow to hold the attention of an audience. But, the song builds at just the right pace, allowing for the subtleties and tiniest of gestures to become quite dramatic. A lot of people have told me that this is their favorite piece. On top of that, I happen to love peacocks and have quite a large tattoo on my back of peacocks, so this costume was especially fun to create. Sassy Delure Prices are for image of one color. Other colors available. |
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#14 Fierce The costume in this act is famous because it's so noisy and spectacular. As a gender bending dance ingénue, I tear up the stage to an upbeat dance song that always gets people bouncing in their chairs. The act is a tribute to the North Pacific Gyre, the largest ecosystem on our planet and the site of an unusually intense collection of man-made marine debris, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. So the performance is based on all things plastics. In fact, "Fierce" is costumed entirely of assorted recycled polyethylene. The Luminous Pariah |
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#15 Americana I created this act for the Americana show, which was the Sinner Saint Burlesque troupe's interpretation of American kitsch and pop culture. It is a comical, slap-stick routine about going shopping, eyeing a must-have pink guitar, strategically planning out how to steal it, then rocking out when I succeed in obtaining it - all while taking my clothes off, of course! I do the act to Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock," because I think Elvis is quintessential American kitsch and the song was highly appropriate. I enjoy integrating comedy into almost every one of my acts. I am inspired by musicals from the 40's and 50's. I love John Waters films, Lucille Ball, and drag culture. I want to create a spectacle, filled to the brim with camp and flare! Lady Ta Tas |
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#16 Drink You Sober
I love choreographing, especially outside of my solo acts. That's why this number was particularly fun to create. The inspiration came out of the song "Drink you sober" by Bittersweet. Sassy Delure |
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#17 J'Adore
This photo is from the Atomic Bombshells Valentines show entitled J'Adore. The image comes from the show's signature act, which has evolved over the years. Over time, the act has settled into a mix of classic ballroom dance, group choreography and Bob Mackie-style 'wings.' Honey D. Luxe |
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#18 Wings If you have a chance to see the film Gypsy, be on the look-out for Mackie's signature wings in the burlesque scene. Mackie has costumed entertainment icons such as The Supremes, Diana Ross, Cher, Whitney Houston and Tina Turner and designed the costumes for the 1993 television adaptation of Gypsy. This act, called J'Adore, has been performed annually in The Atomic Bombshell's as part of the troupe's Valentine's Day holiday show. Honey D. Luxe |
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#19 Self Absorbed I have a confession to make about when this photo was captured. I was completely self-absorbed in a moment of loving myself.
Madisun Avenue |
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#20 All the Beautiful Boys
The chorus in the song for this act includes the words "all the beautiful boys..." and for me this is a tribute to all the transgendered men that femmes love and lose. At the time I created the piece I was falling in love with my first partner who was transitioning from female to male. Fuchsia FoXXX |
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#21 Poison Ivy This is from my Poison Ivy act. As the red-headed super villainess, I fan dance to Herb Albert's brass band version of "Love Potion No 9." I tried to make the eye holes in the mask as big as possible so the audience could still register expression on my face. I think it worked out pretty well. Evilyn Sin Claire |
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#22 Snow Flake
I am enchanted by snow. I love performing in this royal, magical, white and sparkly costume. It feels so still and peaceful but at the same time expansive. |
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#23 Libertine I love this classic burlesque act. It was inspired by one of my favorite bumper sticker quotes: "Well behaved women seldom make history." I was listening to the song "Wild Women Don't Have the Blues" by legendary singer Ida Cox and knew instantly I wanted to portray her as the independent and libertine woman that she was in her day. Doña Dei Cuori |
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#24 Ecdysiastic Magic I love this shot because it's a gratuitous position presented in a coy manner. It's a tease and the art of the tease is the foundation of burlesque.
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#25 "Oh...No" As a child I studied theater. I still use many tricks from those studies in my dancing, in both neo burlesque and belly dance.
I command my own gaze downwards and get everyone staring right there for one lewd moment, then slam my legs shut, mouthing subtly, 'Oh...No. All done to the song "Psychotic Girl" by The Black Keys. Evilyn Sin Claire |
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#26 Fusion In burlesque, performers are given a space in which to explore and combine other areas of performance training and expertise in the realms of dance and theatre.
Jesse Belle-Jones |
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#27 Bang This costume and act was inspired by a collaboration with cartoon artist Ellen Forney and it was first performed at her book release party.
Fuchsia FoXXX |
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#28 The Right Way
Burlesque should be like a magic show. When you really think about it, everybody understands how slight of hand works; if it is done well you are still surprised and in awe. We all know how to get undressed, but done the right way... Mercury Troy |
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#29 Glitter Tears The prop I use in this act has collage figures of male and female bodies, religious iconography, one intact ship and one that has been shipwrecked.
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#30 Fire and Ice Part of what I love to play with in my acts is the juxtaposition of control and wildness. I like to imagine that inside every coiffed and powdered lady is a wild animal. I see myself this way. As women we can use both our powers of calculating discipline and un-caged ferocity to make our lives more exciting and fulfilling." Evilyn Sin Claire Only two 12 x 18 backlit available |
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