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I love the absence of color black/white, It is timeless and non season specific. - via chictopia

Grocery store shot while running errands

“All  Of  It  Outside”    By  Kris  Clouse    12 May 2011     PNCA   (A Review of Keeping Things Inside: The Hidden Transcript of Exotic Dancers, by London A. Lunoux )   

London  Lunoux  presented  her  BFA  thesis  work,  a  photo  series  titled  Keeping  Things  Inside:  The  Hidden  Transcript  of  Exotic  Dancers,  on  April  26,  2011  at  PNCA’s  MFA  Gallery.  The  presentation  and  oral  defense  of  the  work  began  at  the  early  hour  of  9:00  a.m.,  which  would  generally  cross  it  off  my  list  of  potential  thesis  shows  to  take  in,  but  seeing  as  London  is  my  acquaintance,  I  found  myself  stumbling  through  the  city’s  early  morning  traffic.  I  remember  finding  myself  amused  before  entering  the  gallery  that  I  would  be  looking  at  a  photo  series  situated  around  the  industry  of  stripping  shortly  after  waking  up.  Boobies  before  breakfast,  I  thought  to  myself,  chuckling  crudely  on  the  inside. 

I  would  be  lying  if  I  said  that  part  of  myself  was  not  dreading  attending  London’s  presentation.  This  was  not  due  to  a  lack  of  appreciation  for  Miss  Lunoux’s  portfolio,  some  of  which  I  have  seen  and  find  to  be  eloquently  styled,  skilled  photographs,  but  rather  the  subject  matter  at  hand.  I  am  no  stranger  to  the  world  of  exotic  dancers,  and  even  less  of  a  stranger  to  artistic  bodies  of  works  in  all  media,  particularly  photography,  located  in  this  culture.  Instead  my  reluctance  came  from  a  place  of  wondering  if  London  was  capable  of  bringing  some  new  element  to  the  discussion.  I  found  myself  pleasantly  surprised  when  I  stepped  into  the  gallery  to  be  greeted  with  nine  30”x40”  panel  digital  prints  full  of  vibrant  color  and  interesting  compositions  that  did  not  play  on  the  clichés  I  have  come  to  associate  with  work  in  this  subject  matter.      

I  hurried  to  an  unoccupied  corner  in  the  back  of  the  gallery  to  strip  myself  of  my  coat  and  backpack,  which  I  then  placed  on  a  chair  beneath  an  image  saturated  with  an  almost  nauseating  shade  of  pink.  The  photo  was  of  a  woman  naked  except  for  ruffled  booty  shorts,  with  injured  breasts,  staring  at  her  reflection  in  the  mirror,  wearing  a  look  of  uncertainty.  Her  nipples  are  covered  with  medical  tape  and  there  are  purple  bruises  on  the  underside  of  her  bosom,  which  compliment  the  pink  walls  of  the  room  lovely.  I  noted  the  title,  “Now  My  Tips  Are  Amazing”,  and  thought  of  what  a  remarkable  job  the  make  up  artist  had  done  on  the  model’s  breasts  [I  would  later  find  out  during  the  oral  presentation  that  the  woman  had  indeed  had  a  breast  augmentation  and  allowed  London  to  photograph  her].  The  image  is  powerful,  poignant,  and  speaks  to  the  strength  of  Woman,  albeit  in  a  personal  and  somewhat  sinister  way.  This  piece  is  without  a  doubt  the  most  successful  in  the  series,  for  me.    A  walk  along  the  walls  of  the  gallery  revealed  more  portraits  (which  for  me,  is  how  they  function  primarily)  of  exotic  dancers  as  subjects  of  narratives  that  take  place  both  in  the  home  and  at  the  workplace.  Some  of  the  photos  have  an  almost  cinematic  quality  about  them,  reminiscent  of  a  still  image  taken  from  a  pivotal  scene  in  a  film.  Despite  the  staged  look  some  of  the  images  have,  none  of  the  women  look  idealized,  except  maybe  in  some  of  the  stripclub  images,  which  actually  works  to  emphasize  the  artificiality  of  the  persona  a  woman  faces  as  a  performer  in  this  arena.

  Perhaps  no  piece  speaks  to  this  plasticity  more  than  “All  My  Friends  Are  Strippers”,  a  portrait  of  the  secret  backstage  area  of  the  stripclub,  where  the  dancers  put  on  their  armor.  There  is  an  enormous  expanse  of  empty  grey  carpet  that  makes  up  the  foreground,  which  might  create  an  air  of  emptiness  for  the  image  were  it  not  so  well  lit.  Beyond  are  three  figures,  in  various  stages  of  preparation  for  their  turn  to  perform.  A  doorway  beyond  bathes  two  women  in  red  light,  giving  them  a  certain  sexiness  that  is  contrasted  by  their  stiff,  seemingly  forced  postures.  This  vast  space  has  an  almost  seedy  feel  with  its  exposed  piping  and  airshafts,  despite  how  clean  the  room  looks.  Though  clearly  staged,  this  photo  seems  the  most  genuine  to  me  as  far  as  capturing  a  glimpse  into  the  life  of  the  exotic  dancer.  

London’s  abstract  relays  that  the  work  is  concerned  with  “the  way  in  which  the  stigma  of  working  in  a  sex  related  occupation  affects  [the  personal]  relationships  [of  exotic  dancers].”  The  artist  herself  has  worked  a  variety  of  jobs  within  strip  clubs—everything  from  a  performer  to  club  manager—and  so  the  series  is  inspired  by  personal  history  from  an  insider’s  perspective.  The  work  deals  with  the  stress  of  what  the  photographer  defines  as  emotional  labor  (a  display  of  sexuality  per  performance  in  character)  and  mental  labor  (overcoming  stigmas  as  a  way  of  enabling  performance).  The  latter  of  the  two  concepts  carry  over  into  the  dancers’  personal  lives  as  well,  affecting  their  relationships  with  family,  romantic  partners,  and  even  the  self.  

 This  emotionally  laborious  struggle  can  be  seen  very  clearly  in  “Like  Mother,  Like  Daughter”  (a  woman  sitting  on  a  red  sofa  whose  defeated  face  is  washed  in  high  contrast  lighting),  and  “I  Wish  You  Would  Do  That  With  Me”  (a  woman  standing  outside  her  bedroom  where  her  lover  lies  in  bed  with  his  back  to  her,  bathed  in  red  light).  “Like  Mother,  Like  Daughter”  personifies  the  secretive  self-‐stigmatization  that  London  says  often  comes  along  with  the  turf,  so  to  speak.  Similarly,  “I  Wish…”  addresses  the  trust/jealousy  issues  that  can  erupt  in  relationships  between  dancers  and  their  partners,  particularly  when  the  dancer’s  lover  does  not  understand  that  the  dancing  is  performance  as  opposed  to  authentic  seduction.    

Though  the  photographer  situates  herself  in  two  of  the  images  (one  showing  a  family  dinner  gone  awry,  the  other  showing  two  girls  sharing  a  private  moment,  titled  “I  Only  Tell  This  To  Women”)  she  is  disguised  in  both,  and  is  the  central  figure  in  neither.  After  listening  to  London  speak  about  the  work,  and  how  it  was  inspired  by  her  own  personal  history  in  the  arena  of  exotic  dancing,  I  couldn’t  help  but  feel  like  the  portraits  were  not  of  her  friends  in  the  trade  at  all,  but  instead  self-‐portraits  of  her  own  experiences  using  others  as  models.  That,  for  me,  was  the  most  fascinating  part  of  London  Lunoux’s  work.

(Taken with instagram)

Image series titled Keeping Things Inside: The Hidden Transcript of Exotic Dancers, 40”x30”, Photographic Prints, 2011

Cola

Dantes ad shot April 2012 #Dantes (Taken with Instagram at Dante’s)

Something’s going down around here (Taken with Instagram at My studio)

Metal welded sculpture at my studio (Taken with Instagram at My studio)

At my studio right now (Taken with Instagram at My studio)

Red leaves #stormysky #fall #leaves (Taken with instagram)

Pistolita #blue #eyeshadow (Taken with instagram)

There was a fly in that ice cube (Taken with instagram)

Soda

Burnside (Taken with instagram)

Taken with instagram

Walking dogs (Taken with instagram)