Erotica Photographers To Exhibit Best Works In Beverly Hills

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.—It's called Perspectives in California Captivity. That's the name of the show opening tomorrow, July 14, at the Garboushian Gallery—but though one might think, looking at the title, that it's about different views of bondage, in fact, according to the gallery's website, photographers Dave Naz, Steve Diet-Goedde and Victor Lightworship, whose names are well-known in adult industry circles, present "their own sensual interpretation" of "a quintessential Southern California location ... and the carnal beings that inhabit it"—one of whom is top trans star Venus Lux. "In Perspectives in California Captivity, each photographer was given unlimited access to one location in sunny Southern California," the Garboushian Gallery website states. "With their own professional models, each artist chose spots, scenery, and set-ups that they felt passionately about or were attracted to, without knowledge of what the other artists were creating. This sensually charged project has been a long time in the making, and offers viewers not only a fascinating insider look at the creative brain of a photographer, but also the innovation of three amazing artists' minds with restrictive guidelines and limitations to enhance the challenge for them." The site also notes that "Steve Diet Goedde ... has been a fine art erotic photographer for nearly 25 years. His attention to composition and black and white tonal quality has given him the reputation of being 'The Ansel Adams of Erotica'; while "[Dave] Naz's photography stands out in the erotic arts because of his impeccable eye for juxtaposition and provocative visual instincts. His bright colors and intuitive style are unmistakable, and his work offers viewers something that is incredibly rare—he can make something plain and banal look and feel like pleasure and love." Similarly, Victor Lightworship is said to have gotten his start "shooting commercials for clients like Miller Beer, Women's Wear Daily and Cirque du Soleil," where he "found a true talent for expressing sexual desire and creating captivating and tantalizing erotic photography. At the height of his commercial success Lightworship abandoned his mainstream career in order to focus on his erotic artwork." Lightworship created the cover for the July 2017 issue of Hustler. For her part, Venus Lux was thrilled to have been chosen as one of Naz's subjects. Besides the photos that will be part of the Garboushian Gallery exhibit, Venus is also featured in Naz’s latest photo book, Identity: In & Beyond the Binary, a beautiful exploration of gender identity, which is also the name of Naz's 2015 hour-long documentary. The book was released this week by Rare Bird Books and is available, among other outlets, from Amazon.com. "When Dave Naz asked me to jump on this project, I was so excited, and now I am honored to part take in his next artist showcase," Venus said. "I believe in his vision for transgender visibility and advocacy especially with the release of his new book, Identity. Overall, he’s a wonderful ally, photographer, artist and friend. I hope everyone can experience the level of inspiration that I've gained by Dave at the Garboushian Gallery show." The Garboushian Gallery is located at 427 North Camden Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Perspectives in California Captivity will run from July 14 to August 11, and there will be an opening reception on opening night from 7-9 p.m. Fans of Venus Lux may follow her at Venus-Lux.com and on Twitter, on Facebook, and on Instagram.