Brooklyn-based photographer Victoria Dearing’s fascination with high wire artist Philippe Petit began midway through a viewing of the Oscar-winning documentary, Man On Wire. Moved by his unusual life philosophies, the 29-year-old Dearing resolved to meet the man who walked between the tops of the Twin Towers back in 1974. She couldn’t have guessed that over the next few months, through a series of coincidences, improbable encounters, and the beauty of a classic Leica M6 camera, she would be given a privileged peek into Petit's cloistered domain. In an exhibition called "LINE UP - Rigging Knots + Glimpses of a Master Class," which opened last week, Dearing’s photographs of Petit’s first Action Maverick Master Class (TIGHTROPE! An Exploration into the Theater of Balance) hang alongside drawings of rigging knots executed by Petit himself. The set of slightly blurred, black and white photographs surreally depict Petit as he floats above a cluster of onlooking students. They're contrasted by the intricate drawings, each of which contains a hand-written poetic explanation of the type of knot portrayed. The Clic Gallery will host a holiday reception for LINE UP on December 16th, from 6-8pm, and the exhibit will remain on display at their new space in SoHo until January 16th.
more
