Interview with Lisa Kereszi

photo-eye:

Lisa Kereszi’s first monograph, Fantasies, interweaves images of the empty interiors of strip clubs with photographs of new burlesque dancers to create a narrative in between the environment of a fantasy and the expression of one. The tawdry nocturnal spaces are an emotional void, paralleling the possible emptiness of those who occupy the stages of the strip clubs, as well as those who fill the seats as patrons. According to Kereszi, the new burlesque performances have a more palpable joy than stripper routines, but Kereszi’s images of the burlesque dancers in persona still exude a certain sadness and a reality that is rough around the edges. Kereszi draws back the curtain on fantasy and reveals its details, enticing the imagination of the viewer, yet simultaneously exposing the reality of fantasy’s ephemeral nature.