FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Rose A. or Jay R. Deutsch
212-777-3051
leicaphoto@aol.com

Dutch, a noire fine art photo book by Carlos René Perez, to debut at Leica Gallery

(New York, NY-Dec. 28, 2009)
Carlos René Perez will debut his first fine art photo book, Dutch on January 14, 2010 at Leica Gallery in New York. A selection of the iconic photographs from the book’s seventy-seven images will be on display at the gallery through February 27. Dutch is the dark tale of a novice journalist, J.C. Kid, and a streetwise old cat implicated in an art theft. It’s a story about artistic integrity, fabricating yarns and, in the end, a tale of truth in all its mysterious incarnations.

Started three decades ago with a collection of abandoned toys found outside a dime store in New York City, the project truly came to life when Perez was given a ceramic Dutch boy by a former lover. The first photo taken of the toys is from a Kodachrome slide of the Dutch boy being taken hostage by two toy soldiers, the artist’s reaction to the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979. From there the project took on a life of it’s own for Perez, and advanced with technology, combining his lifelong interest in photography, noir fiction, and filmmaking sparked by a quote from Pablo Picasso, “good artists copy, great artists steal.”

The story begins when a cub reporter is sent to interview a rogue and rumored talking cat in New York City’s West Village. The cat’s story, visualized in high-resolution color photographs, tells of a ceramic Dutch Boy who, unsatisfied with his life, ventures across a table to find love and adventure. In a classic heroes quest, the tale of Dutch is like that of Don Quixote, the knight errant in search of adventure.

The Dutch boy meets dark and seedy characters along his journey and Perez’s photographs invite the viewer to return again and again to discover more minutiae in the sharp, grain-less and vivid imagery. The intense hues and almost surrealistic collection of items brought together: a Virgin Mary, crab claws, a blue duck, the Joker and a vacuum cleaner can often only be interpreted as bizarre. Upon further reflection, they become sacrosanct in their exploration of life, truth, and the role of the artist in society.

At the end of the story the narrator muses:

“[It’s] a story we can all take stock of and keep in our hearts. To know that ceramic Dutch boys, Cracker Jack ducks, Russian dolls and city cats can find love and a place for themselves in our crazy world....”

That is, if cats could talk.

Carlos René Perez was raised in San Antonio, Texas but has lived in New York City for over 30 years. His photography career spans 40 years and includes news, fashion, editorial and commercial photography in addition to his strong footing in fine art photography. In recent years, Perez has combined his skills and experiences in the service of storytelling. Dutch is a result of that undertaking.

Additional Contact:
Carlos Rene Perez
212-228-0416
rene@crperez.com