LOS ANGELES – Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato's World of Wonder Productions will present a 25-year retrospective of Vivid Entertainment's erotic photography from Feb. 15 - March 13 at its storefront gallery on Hollywood Boulevard.
"All-American Porn: 25 Years of Erotic Photography from Vivid Entertainment" will showcase an extensive collection of cover art, collectibles, and never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes photographs spanning the history of modern porn.
The four-week exhibit is a major event in Vivid's ongoing silver anniversary celebration. World of Wonder has produced three cable TV reality shows with Vivid, including "Porno Valley", "Debbie Does Dallas...Again", and the new series "Deeper Throat".
An opening reception is set for Valentine's Day, Saturday, February 14 from 7 – 11 p.m., with the Vivid Girls in attendance. Guests will enjoy an op-en cocktail bar and a special screening of excerpts from "Deeper Throat," which premieres the same night on Showtime.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, the gallery will host a Vivid panel discussion with studio co-chairman Steven Hirsch, AVN Award-winning director Paul Thomas and the Vivid Girls. The panel will be moderated by World of Wonder co-founder Bailey, whose credits include the documentaries Inside Deep Throat and Pornography: A Secret History of Civilization.
The panel discussion will begin at 7 p.m., followed by a party with an open bar tio meet the presenters.
"Vivid revolutionized the adult film industry, bringing high production quality to adult films for the first time and creating some of the most iconic names in pop culture by cultivating the careers of stars like Jenna Jameson and Ginger Lynn," Bailey and Barbato said in a joint statement to the press. "Vivid had a dramatic impact on the industry with its very first movie, Ginger, starring Ginger Lynn in 1984. Until Ginger, most adult movies were marketed with explicit images on their VHS covers, and as a result were hidden from view by retailers.
"Vivid changed all that with beautifully designed covers that had strong mainstream appeal and showed gorgeous women, glamorous photography and stylish art direction. Of course, it wasn't long before most other companies in the industry followed Vivid. Our exhibit will focus on the greatest covers of the past quarter-century and compelling behind-the-scenes photos from Vivid Entertainment, Vivid-Alt and Vivid Men movies, and many are truly works of art."
A portion of the profits from the sale of any of the photo art from this exhibit will be donated to the AIM Healthcare Foundation. The exhibit was co-curated by Thairin Smothers, James St. James and Steven Corfe.
“We’re looking forward immensely to unveiling this show where porn meets art," St. James said. "Having the Vivid Girls in attendance is going to make it an exciting and beautiful event."
Media may RSVP for the Feb. 14 opening or the Feb. 19 panel via e-mail to [email protected].
Non-media attendees may RSVP to Thairin Smothers at [email protected]. Please specify which event you will be attending. All guests must be 18 or older.
The exhibit will be open from noon - 6 pm, Tuesday through Saturday for the duration of the show. The World of Wonder gallery is located at 6650 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028.
