Pretty Dirty Things, Making Fun of NYC

America as seen by an Italian photographer... over 100 hundred photos, taken around New York... dirty, gritty yet still glamorous...
"Pretty Dirty Things," on view at Three Square Studio Gallery until the end of June, is the first solo exhibition of Italian fashion photographer Dawidh Orlando. The collection makes fun of the sexual, religious and social aspects of New York City life in a colorful and humorous way, thus it becomes not just a photographic exhibit but also a documentary about the City of today.

"Batman and Robin"

"Draft Piss"

Terrence Howard

DSQUARED2's Dean and Dan

The show ranges from cheeky tableau to documentary photography of Orlando's daily adventures, and of course, there are also some intense portraits of all the beautiful people come to the Big Apple. Orlando's provocative eye plays a consistent throughline and we are invited into his world of pretty dirty things.

Orlando plays with and downplays the typical American attitude and makes daily life seem anything but typical. An American flag waves free in a blue sky, carrying a strong message, being kissed by the sun. Beside it, an American flag stands full mast atop a woman's lovely butt. In “Draft Piss,” a woman in beautiful high heels squats, and “returns” her Budweiser to its can... Poking fun at the collision between Jewish and Catholic religion, the sexual exchange between a Rabbi and a Nun reigns over all religious restrictions.

“Pretty Dirty Things” even gets cameos from some of Americaʼs favorite superheroes: Captain America focuses all of his powers on an extra large pizza while Batman and Robin have a not-so-PG interaction. “The exhibition feels like a Fellini film; the characters are straight out of Woody Allen.

Homeless men and sluts, celebrities and socialites, VIP's and very normal people. Everyone is interesting in this exhibit, and so everyone is equal. It feels like Orlando has boiled down the “melting pot” of Manhattan into 100 sexy quirky images.”

Orlando likes to focus his camera on his subjects' “sweet weakness.” “I couldn't resist the opportunity to see a gay friend of mine jumping at the opportunity to dress as Cat Woman, or to document a beautiful aspiring model whose breasts are cut and bruised from breast enhancement surgery,” he stated for the press.

For celeb-seekers, “Pretty Dirty Things” offers no shortage of fame. We see Amanda Lepore, the muse of David LaChapelle, DSQUARED2's Dean and Dan, J. Lindberg, Elio Fiorucci and John Richmond; Terrence Howard, Matthew Modine, and top models Laura Stone and Daphne Groeneveld; and we can't forget politician/comedian Beppe Grillo, rock star Marky Ramone and New York hip-hop legend Rakim with DMX and A$AP Rocky.

Orlando, 30 years old, now lives in New York. After graduating with a degree in Political Science in Italy, Orlando dove right into the art scene, collaborating with the most prominent Italian and American photographers across the globe. His work has been featured in GQ, Max, Maxim, Details, Blink, and TheFashionisto among many others. Highly involved in shooting underground New York Magazines, Orlando's work can also be seen in Twelv, Relapse, LoveCat and Bullet among others.

Three Squares Studio opened in 2009, it is a hair salon and art gallery. Founded by Jordan Blackmore (the hair) and Andi Potamkin (the art) the Studio is based on a devotion to beauty, and a willingness to step outside the box. “Pretty Dirty Things” is the perfect collection of pictures for its walls.