Harke Completes Europe/Russia Tour

"It was a spectacular photo-safari!" Those were the words of Jerry Harke, president and owner of JR Harke Photography, Inc. and Marigot Publishing House, Inc., describing his recent tour (June-July, 2010) of Germany, Austria and Russia. "My wife, Kathleen, joined my shooting schedule on this trip and served as my production photographer taking photos of me working with the various models." Production photos taken by Kathleen are shown below:

Jeanie Kayla - Wels, Austria

Julia Petrova - Haiming, Austria

Marina Yusova - Moscow, Russian Federation

Veronika Davydova - Moscow, Russian Federation

Emily Rose Mawson - Innsbruck, Austria











Evgenia Kaveeva - Moscow, Russian Federation

"We began our odyssey in Munich, Germany with a tour of Neuschwanstein Castle and captured some very beautiful landscapes.

From Germany we moved on into Austria starting near Switzerland at Bregenz and then moving eastward to Haiming, Innsbruck and on to Vienna.

I had the very delightful experience of working with Emily Rose Mawson from England, who is presently living in Innsbruck, Austria

Emily Rose Mawson

Julia Petrova

In Haiming, Austria, which is a small village in Tirol, I photographed Julia Petrova, who comes from the Ukraine and now resides with her husband in Austria. Julia Petrova has opened a new art gallery in Haiming and, I am happy to say, three of my photographs are on exhibit there now."

Jeannie Kayla - Wels, Austria

"Our final stop in Austria, before moving on to Russia, was in Wels where I photographed the very petite and lovely Jeannie Kayla. Jeannie is from Indonesia and now resides in Austria with her husband. The shoot with Jeannie was quite special not only because of her outstanding modeling abilities and trim artistically pleasing figure, but the shoot was done, at her suggestion, at the ruins of the Schaunburg Castle outside of Salzburg, Austria. Hannes, Jeanie's husband served as my assistant casting light on Jeannie using a large reflector. We enjoyed our time with Jeannie and Hannes and later, at a beautiful restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Danube River, they taught us the joys of a local drink known as Most. The nectar, which is a light and very pleasing cider drink, was most welcome. Being quite thirsty after a photo shoot in the hot sun at the Schuanburg Castle, it was far too easy to over-indulge and the mild alcohol content brought about a mellow glow and many laughs with our new friends."

"In Moscow, we were met at Domodedevo International Airport by our dear friend and lovely model, Veronika Davydova. My wife and I developed a strong and very pleasing friendship with both Veronika and Elena Scherbakova, at an earlier time when they resided near us in the United States. When they returned to Russia, we promised to visit them there and this trip was the result.

At a photo studio in Moscow, I worked with Russian models Marina Yusova and Evgenia Kaveeva and, of course, our lovely friend, Veronika. No trip to Moscow is complete without visiting Red Square and we made that sojourn on a beautiful day with Veronika.

Marina Yusova

Evgenia Kaveeva

Veronika Davydova

Kathleen Harke and
Veronika Davydova at
Red Square

"From Moscow, we flew to Saint Petersburg to visit with Elena and Veronika joined us. There we toured the Hermitage Museum and also took a hydrofoil trip to see Peterhof, Peter the Great's summer home. Both visits resulted in many memorable photos."

Elena Scherbakova

Veronika Davydova,
Elena Schersbakova and
Kathleen Harke at Peterhof,
Russian Federation

What's next for Harke? "The trip to Germany, Austria and Russia completed my photo shoots for the book titled Beauty Revealed, which will be published before the end of 2010.  Beauty Revealed follows on the heels of Nu Art en Noir et Blanc, which was a compendium of black and white nude figure art shot in both studio and outdoor locations. I wanted to swing the pendulum in the opposite direction for Beauty Revealed and captured photos of models, again in studio and outdoor locations, but this time in lush surroundings and beautiful colors. I am anxious to see the results of my work for Beauty Revealed."

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Harke's Art On Exhibit in Austria

(WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 6, 2010) Jerry Harke, owner of JR Harke Photography, Inc. and Marigot Publishing House, Inc., announced today that three of his classic fine art prints on canvas will be placed on exhibit at the Julia Petrova Art Gallery in Tirol, Austria beginning May 20. "I'm especially happy to have my art on display in the heart of Europe where thousands of people from around the world will have the opportunity to see it and I thank Julia Petrova for making this possible," Harke said.


Julia Petrova, owner of the gallery located in Haiming, Austria said, "This is truly a landmark opportunity for any gallery owner and curator to offer international art from some of the best artists in the world. Jerry Harke's photography is stunning and the images he will be exhibiting in my gallery were created in the style of oil paintings on stretched canvas. He has worked with numerous models from around the world in locations that offer the very best in backdrops.


The three photos he will be showing are titled, Edwardian Lawn Dress, Mountain Top and The Falls. Each is a signature presentation from Harke's collection and has appeared in books he has published showcasing his work. His art is most welcome in my new gallery and will be on exhibit for a full year. Of course, each piece will be offered for sale and I expect I will be asking Jerry to provide additional images soon. These will surely be sold quickly."


The images from Harke's collection that will go on display in the Julia Petrova Gallery beginning May 20, 2010 are shown above.

Jerry Harke is a professional photographer and writer and resides in Annandale, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. He travels frequently conducting research and stockpiling ideas for future works of fiction as well as capturing images for his photography books. His first published book of photography was called The Edwadian Lawn Dress: Gentle and Timeless. The second book of photography, In Sappho's Secret Garden: A Thesaurus of Love, explored the beauty of Sapphic love and was based upon the ancient Greek lyrist Sappho, who Plato named the tenth muse. Harke's third and most recently published book presents 408 pages of classic black and white nude figure art and is titled Nu Art en Noir et Blanc. It also contains a guest-photographer section highlighting the work of Harke's friend and mentor, French photographer, Jean Vallette.


Two more photographic books are forthcoming. The first, Real Redheads au Naturel ... at Home! is set for release in late 2010, and following that, Beauty Revealed is scheduled for release in early 2011. Harke has already begun work on the next book scheduled for release in 2012. The only information presently available about the book is it's unique title, Desp-Erotic. More information about Harke's work may be found at www.jerryharke.com. News about his various gallery exhibits, photo tours and information on ordering his books may be found at http://marigotpublishinghouse.blogspot.com.

Julia Petrova is the owner of the new gallery, Julia Petrova Art Gallery, located in Haiming, Tirol Province of Austria. Originating from Odessa in the Ukraine, Petrova is a university graduate and an accomplished artist and practitioner in the fields of journalism, public relations management, advertising, marketing, voiceovers, translation, graphic design, photography, modeling and body art. She has lived in London and relocated last year to Austria where she resides in Tirol. Her modeling career has resulted in her images being shown on the covers of magazines and she has made a variety of appearances in the media. She has also written a book about her life in England. For additional information, visit http://www.juliapetrova.com.

~o~

18 U.S.C. Section 2257 compliance notice. All models and other persons who appear in this blog were over the age of eighteen (18) years at the time of the creation of the images.  Records pertaining to the photographic works of Jerry R. Harke required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2257 and CFR 75 are kept by the custodian of records at Marigot Publishing House, Attn: Jerry R. Harke, 6805 Sprucedale Court, Annandale, Virginia 22003.

Midwest Photo Tour for New Book Complete

Jerry Harke has recently completed three tours of the midwest taking photos of models. Their pictorials will appear in his next book due out in 2011. The new book will be called Beauty Revealed.

"I don't often get to the midwestern states," Harke said. "That's why I was especially pleased that family business took me on four trips there during 2009 and early 2010.  

"I had the good fortune to work with ten models from Edmond, Stillwater, Norman and Lawton, Oklahoma, Elkhart, Kansas, Amarillo, Dallas and Houston, Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico."

Explaining that Beauty Revealed will show models clothed, partially clothed and nude, Harke said, "It's my intent with this book to show the female form in all its beauty whether that be with clothes or not."

Harke added, "The book will include a few pictorials in which females are shown in passionate exchanges with one another.  

"I dedicated an entire book to sapphic love a few years ago. It was called In Sappho's Secret Garden. But frankly, I find images of beautiful women engaged sensually with one another twice as beautiful and, after all, this book is called Beauty Revealed, so why not?"

"It's no secret that I regard the female form as one of the most beautiful sights the eye can behold. 

"In a previous book titled Nu Art en Noir et Blanc, I presented the female form in black and white in both studio and outdoor locations. Beauty Revealed can be considered an extension of that effort, but with the glory of beautiful color seen everywhere!

When asked what other locations will be appear in the forthcoming book, Harke said, "I plan to photograph models soon in and around Seattle, Washington. After that, I will be working with models in Germany, Austria and Russia. When that tour is finished, the creation of the book will begin!"

Sample of photos from Harke's midwest tours are shown here.

~o~

18 U.S.C. Section 2257 compliance notice. All models and other persons who appear in this blog were over the age of eighteen (18) years at the time of the creation of the images.  Records pertaining to the photographic works of Jerry R. Harke required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2257 and CFR 75 are kept by the custodian of records at Marigot Publishing House, Attn: Jerry R. Harke, 6805 Sprucedale Court, Annandale, Virginia 22003.

'Censored' Art Show in Multiple Local Galleries Includes Art from JR Harke Photography, Inc.

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 6, 2010) JR Harke Photography, Inc., is participating with other fine art photographers from the Washington, D.C. area in a special exhibit called “Censored.” The exhibit opened Saturday evening, March 13, at three galleries including the artDC Gallery located at 5710 Baltimore Avenue in Hyattsville, Maryland, the Cheryl Edwards studio located at 4103-4105 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood, Maryland, and the Design Studio Art Gallery

located at 5702 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland.

The show’s curator, Renee ‘Azcra’ Woodward said, “Eroticism has been an important part of art throughout history and has made a significant impact on many major European art movements. Here in the United States, erotic art has often been considered taboo resulting in censored exhibits. But thanks to MOCA DC in Washington and the annual Erotic Arts Festival in Seattle, we have good reason to celebrate the breakdown of traditional barriers in this country.

“Our intention is to poke fun at the long-running practice of moral and social censorship of art by covering any visible genitalia in each work of art with ‘post-it’ notes. Of course, we will encourage visitors to take a sneak peek at what’s going on underneath the notes.”

Commenting on the exhibit, Harke said, "Thanks to the work of Dave Quammen at MOCA DC Art Gallery in Georgetown, the month of March has come to be known for the presentation of erotic art in Washington, D.C. With several other galleries joining forces, I'm hopeful that one day we will be able to hold an erotic arts festival on the level of the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival. As a corporate sponsor of that event, I'll be joining Renee 'Azcra' Woodward, in Seattle this year. Her work will be on exhibit there and I will be looking to develop a strong and productive relationship with the SEAF staff.

"Earlier this month, MOCA DC held an outstanding opening reception for the March Erotic Arts Show. As a corporate sponsor of that event, my company brought in Kitty Victorian from Chicago to both perform and emcee a special amateur burlesque contest. The gallery was packed with people and I believe this was the best reception we've ever held there!"

The artists whose work is on exhibit in the CENSORED show were chosen for their outstanding work in capturing fine art including both the nude figure and erotica. All of the art shown in the CENSORED show is for sale and, of course, we encourage visitors to come see the work and take pieces home with them.”

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JR Harke Photography, Inc. Sponsoring Annual Art Events in Two Major U.S. Cities

JR Harke Photography, Inc., is sponsoring the annual MOCA DC Erotic Arts Show to be held March 5 through April 3 at 1054 31^st St., NW, Washington, D.C. Also the company is sponsoring the annual Seattle Erotic Arts Festival at the Seattle Exhibition Center by the famed Space Needle beginning April 30 and running through May 2.

“I think both of these events are wonderful opportunities for artists to express themselves in ways that too often they cannot do in other shows,” Jerry Harke, owner of JR Harke Photography, Inc., said. “It is unfortunate that in so many places and over thousands of years, art of an erotic nature has been, and continues to be, suppressed around the world. I am encouraged, however, to know that we have pioneers in this country who are working to change that.”

Harke, whose work includes all types of fine art and who serves clients throughout the Washington, D.C. region, is a frequent exhibitor of his art at MOCA DC. This year, as a corporate sponsor of that group’s event, Harke is bringing in a special talent recognized nationwide to kick off the opening reception show. Kitty Victorian, based in Chicago, will open the evening at 7:30 p.m. at MOCA DC (www.mocadc.org) on March 5 with a short performance and then will emcee an amateur burlesque contest. Ladies from throughout the region are encouraged to participate. Prize money for the winners is $100 for first place, $50 for second place, and $25 for third place.

“I want to thank Dave Quammen, executive director of MOCA DC for being the leader who has made possible the showing of erotic art to the public here. The 2010 show at MOCA DC promises to be one of the biggest opening nights yet,” Harke said. “Last year there were approximately 300 people in attendance and even more are expected this year. It is important to note that the doors open at 6 p.m. and the public is welcome to come in and see all of the art that’s on display. Admission to the gallery and the burlesque show is free. However, being a burlesque show, attendance is reserved to an adult audience.”

Harke is a frequent traveler and photographs models around the world. Not only has he frequented the Seattle area to take photographs of local talent, but he also was a one-time resident there. “Seattle holds a special place in my heart and I am a great admirer of people like photographer Jim Duvall who first came up with the idea for the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival (www.seattleerotic.org).” 

Jim Duvall, Allena Gabosch, executive director of the Center and Foundation for a Sex Positive Culture and Anna Hurwitz, festival director, organized a committee in the late 1990s to explore the idea of an erotic arts festival. The first one was held in 2002 and, since then, the event has grown into an internationally recognized festival with thousands in attendance. “It is my hope that the Washington, D.C. region might someday hold an erotic arts festival with participation from numerous galleries and various interest groups as well as attendance from around the world. I think with Dave Quammen leading the way at MOCA DC, we have a good chance of getting there,” Harke added.

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Kitty Victorian Headlines Annual MOCADC Erotic Art Show and Amateur Burlesque Contest

Kitty Victorian, the quintessence of Burlesque, will perform at the opening of the annual MOCA DC Erotic Art Show in Georgetown on March 5.  Miss Kitty will emcee an amateur burlesque contest and will open the show with a performance of her own featuring extravagant costumes draped in rhinestones and feathers and wrapped in sultry boas.

The annual erotic art show at MOCA DC has become one of DC’s top crowd-pleasing shows with over 300 in attendance at last year’s reception. Erotic art from artists throughout the region will be on display throughout the month. The March 5, 2010 reception promises to break all records. 

MOCA DC’s executive director, Dave Quammen said, “All ladies from throughout the Washington, DC region are welcome to fashion their best erotic costume and come on down to shake their stuff for our crowd. By crowd response, we’ll be selecting the top three performances of the evening with three cash awards of $100 for first place, $50 for second place and $25 for third place. But regardless, win or lose, everyone will be a winner! It will be an evening with the best entertainment in town. After the amateur burlesque show, the ladies are welcome to serve as human-canvases for our body painters. 

"I also want to thank JR Harke Photography, Inc., our corporate sponsor for the 2010 Erotic Art Show at MOCA DC. Jerry Harke, owner of the company, has been a loyal member of MOCA DC for several years and has assisted with programming on a number of occasions. This time, he's bringing in Kitty Victorian as a special guest performer. Her top-notch reputation in the world of burlesque is sure to bring a good crowd and many amateur burlesque contestants for our opening reception."

Explaining how the contest will work, Quammen noted that amateur burlesque entertainers who want to enter the contest should choose the music they want to use for their performance and bring that music pre-recorded on a CD with them to the gallery. Quammen stresses the importance of having contestants arrive early and suggests, “They should get here by no later than 6:15 p.m. so they can hand over the CD to be tested on our sound system and to get the lay of the stage we’ll be using. Our space is limited for accomplishing pre-show activities, so it is best to arrive already made-up and in costume.” Smiling, Quammen added, “Having our contestants arrive in costume will both help with logistics and add a festive atmosphere to what promises to be a hot and saucy evening!”

The Washington Post has called Kitty Victorian a “burlesque dancer extraordinaire bringing the saucy, seductive world of burlesque dancing to D.C., one bump and grind at a time.” Now headquartered in Chicago, Miss Kitty returns to Washington, D.C. regularly. Starting in 2004, she single-handedly ignited burlesque in D.C. and marked the beginning of Miss Kitty Victorian’s monthly burlesque revue and DC Gurly Show. Since then, she has appeared in numerous cities across the nation performing her special brand of sophisticated and erotic burlesque. 

Speaking about her upcoming performance at MOCA DC, Miss Kitty said, “Darling, I am just so excited to be coming back to Washington, D.C. and I can’t think of a place I’d rather perform than at the beginning of MOCA DC’s annual erotic art show! I’m also excited about serving as emcee for the amateur burlesque contest. I might even allow myself to be body-painted after the show!” Kitty Victorian founded Washington, DC’s Burlesque University and serves as the Headmistress teaching erotic arts to everyone. At the “university’s” website (www.burlesqueuniversity.com), Miss Kitty makes an offer most ladies can’t refuse. “What I’m saying folks is that if you want to learn the art of the tease, I’d love to teach it to you.”

On March 6, Miss Kitty will be available at MOCA DC Art Gallery for a two-hour photo session with area photographers from 10 a.m. until noon. She commented, “Darling, I want to do my best for your photographers, but I really must hustle on over to my university class where I’m teaching the art of burlesque that afternoon.” Dave Quammen said, “The two-hour photo session the morning of March 6 at the MOCA DC gallery will be offered at a cost of $50 per photographer. Just contact me to sign up.”

Doors will open for the March 5 event at 6 p.m.  Attendees are invited to see the special erotic art on display throughout the gallery. Then, at 7:30 p.m. when the familiar theme song from the movie “The Stripper,” begins to play, the show will open. Following the show at 8:30 p.m., the gallery will be open for body painting, art viewing, and networking with your favorite artist (or burlesque entertainer).  MOCA DC is located at 1054 31^st St. N.W. at Canal Square in Georgetown, Washington, DC. For additional information, call (202) 342-6230 or send email inquiries to mocadc01@comcast.net.  

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18 U.S.C. Section 2257 compliance notice. All models and other persons who appear in this blog were over the age of eighteen (18)years at the time of the creation of the images. Records pertaining to the photographic works of Jerry R. Harke required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2257 and CFR 75 are kept by the custodian of records at Marigot Publishing House, Attn: Jerry R. Harke, 6805 Sprucedale Court, Annandale, Virginia 22003

"In Your Face" Art Featured at MOCA DC's February Show

JR Harke Photography, Inc. is showing seven pieces of art at the MOCA DC Art Gallery in Georgetown during the month of February, 2010.

The theme of the show is “In Your Face Art.” Commenting on his work in the show, Jerry Harke, owner of JR Harke Photography, Inc. and Marigot Publishing House, Inc., said, “The theme of the show calls for an abstract approach to presenting art. Some of the pieces I'm showing are from a photo shoot I did in Los Angeles with model Meghan Monroe. Others were recreations of special moments from the Crazy Horse Review at Las Vegas. All of the images have been presented as pop art with some wild and crazy lines and colors. The net effect is that attention is achieved with bright colors and odd perspectives causing the viewer to become interested and remain engaged.”

Dave Quammen, Executive Director at MOCA DC said, “This exhibit is wide open to the artist's interpretation. We encourage an abstract approach and many of the pieces on exhibit follow that idea. I was particularly interested to see how Jerry Harke would approach the concept because his art is most often based in realism. I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw the work he contributed and I encourage everyone to visit the gallery this month to see all the work that's on display from many local artists. We have a terrific show this month."

For additional information about the show, contact Dave Quammen at mocadc01@comcast.net or by telephone at 202.342.6230. The gallery is located in Canal Square at 1054 31st St. NW in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

~o~

18 U.S.C. Section 2257 compliance notice. All models and other persons who appear in this blog were over the age of eighteen (18)years at the time of the creation of the images. Records pertaining to the photographic works of Jerry R. Harke required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2257 and CFR 75 are kept by the custodian of records at Marigot Publishing House, Attn: Jerry R. Harke, 6805 Sprucedale Court, Annandale, Virginia 22003

JR Harke Photography Exhibiting at January 2010 Fairfax Art League Show

The January 2010 show at the Fairfax Art League's Village Plaza Gallery in Fairfax, Virginia includes figure work presented by Jerry Harke, an internationally acclaimed photographer from Northern Virginia. "This month's theme at the gallery focuses on figure art. But attendees expecting to see nude figure art may be surprised. the figure art theme, oddly enough, has to do with the more unexpected uses of that word," Harke said. "Nevertheless, I make excellent use of the beautiful figures presented by five lovely models I've had the honor to work with in recent years.

Harke’s work is widely varied in the five images on display starting January 8 at the league’s Village Plaza Gallery in Fairfax, Virginia.

The first image, called Edwardian Lawn Dress is from the cover of a book published in 2007 by the same name. Another image titled In Dreams features Northern Virginia model, Renee Woodward. The photograph was shot on the Caribbean island of St. Martin.

Another image from St. Martin also on display at the gallery is titled The Dancer and features New York model Rashika Pickett. The fifth and final image is called Palo Duro Canyon and features New Mexico model Stephanie Landers. "That image," Harke says, "was shot in the Palo Duro Canyon where Stephanie Landers was performing in the outdoor musical, TEXAS!"

Harke says, "I especially enjoy showing my art at the Village Plaza Gallery in Fairfax, Virginia. The league is comprised of a wonderful group of artists who have extended a warm welcome and the patrons who visit the gallery have been very complimentary."

Located in the heart of old-town Fairfax with a host of exciting new stores and top-notch eateries surrounding it, the Village Plaza Gallery is found in an area that is a perfect place to shop, eat and enjoy art.

For more information about Harke's work or to inquire about portraiture and other types of photo sessions, send email to jerry@jrharkephotography.com or call 703.981.4206. Also, visit http://www.jerryharke.com/ for information on Harke's published art books as well as novels.

~o~

18 U.S.C. Section 2257 compliance notice. All models and other persons who appear in this blog were over the age of eighteen (18)years at the time of the creation of the images. Records pertaining to the photographic works of Jerry R. Harke required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 2257 and CFR 75 are kept by the custodian of records at Marigot Publishing House, Attn: Jerry R. Harke, 6805 Sprucedale Court, Annandale, Virginia 22003