E S S A Y

 

W O R K E R S

 

by

N. Dimitri Vorvolakos

 

From time immemorial there has always been a strong camaraderie and kinship between the sex worker and the artist. This common bond of circumstance has manifested as friend, lover, neighbor and muse.

To maintain its righteous and orderly course, society has put in place a set of rules, guideposts for decency and good taste, for all mortals to abide.

Both artists and workers function on the fringes of society. They are dangerous, subversive, feared and expected to break the rules that do not apply to them.

In the hierarchy of human taxonomy, the good standing members of society have designated artist and sex worker as undesirable, alongside murderer, thief, pimp and drug dealer.

These birds of a feather share similar nocturnal schedules, attitudes, survival skills and language. Generally broke, they share the same economic maladies. Both live in low rent neighborhoods. Both frequent the same haunts; affordable dive bars or a swank night on the town with a flush customer or a fanciful collector.

Workers and artists are able to transcend the barriers of gender, race and class. Beauty, lust or talent will always breakthrough any strata of society. Oddly, both the worker and the artist require strong management and representation. Both need a venue to display their wares. Gallerist or pimp, economies must circulate.

This exhibition is a reflection of a timeless bond, an impact upon our culture in all its beautiful and very human forms.

 

~ N. Dimitri Vorvolakos, Curator

 

Edouard Manet

Edouard Manet

Brassai

Brassai

Brassai

Brian Lantelme

Brian Lantelme

Felix Gonzalez-Torres

John Boskovich

John Boskovich

John Boskovich

John Boskovich

John Boskovich

John Boskovich

Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus

Wayne Coe

Bruce LaBruce

Bruce LaBruce

Linda Simpson

Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon

Lucien Freud

David Hockney

David Hockney

Gary Lee Boas

Gary Lee Boas

Gary Lee Boas

Gary Lee Boas

Paul Cadmus

Paul Cadmus

Nan Goldin

Nan Goldin

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso

Shirin Fakhim, Tehran

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Pan Yu Liang

Pan Yu Liang

Pan Yu Liang

Pan Yu Liang

A B O U T T H E C U R A T O R

 

 

Curator N. Dimitri Vorvolakos has a long career as a gallerist and director. His Gallery 207 in West Hollywood, California exhibited artists such as Meg Cranston, Steve Hurd, Carter Potter, Keith Boadwee, Tetsuji Aono, Gordy Grundy, Kaz Oshiro, John Boscovich, Shirley Tse, Byoung ok Koh, Retna and many others.

As guest curator at Joni Gordon's Newspace Gallery, Vorvolakos created two back-to-back group shows, "LA, CA" and "The B-Sides", which became legendary exhibitions. Critic Doug Harvey writes in the L.A. Weekly, "I‘d like to recommend that you visit Newspace."

Vorvolakos also served as curator and director of the 01 Gallery in Hollywood, California.

WORKER is Vorvolako's first virtual exhibition.

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DIANE ARBUS + FRANCIS BACON+ GARY LEE BOAS + JOHN BOSKOVICH + BRASSAÏ + PAUL CADMUS + WAYNE COE + SHIRIN FAKHIM + LUCIEN FREUD + NAN GOLDIN + FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES + DAVID HOCKNEY + BRUCE LaBRUCE + BRIAN LANTELME + PAN YU LIANG + EDOUARD MANET + PABLO PICASSO + MARGIE SCHNIBBE + HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

SHOW SPONSORED BY