BOOK LAUNCHWednesday 5th August Doors 7.30pm Poppers: Photographic Portraits by Ruth Bayer With introductory essays by Stephen Thrower and Cathi Unsworth and Michael Atavar. To capture a moment in which the subject loses control, or at least slackens their grip on the reins, is a frequent goal in photography... In 'Poppers', photographer Ruth Bayer achieves a simple but effective frisson between the composed, formal relationship of camera and subject, and the rogue element introduced by her subjects' inhalation of Poppers - the street name for a compound belonging to the alkyl nitrate family; a muscle relaxant which causes the dilation of blood vessels, leading to increased blood flow and a rush of heat and euphoria. Fascinated by the watery, dilated eyes and sensually heightened faces of those she saw taking Poppers in nightclubs, Ruth set out to capture those fleeting moments of euphoric aware/unawareness in the series of photographs presented in this book. Hardcover 88 pp Published 2009 by Tyto Alba ISBN: 978-0956243102 ruth@ruthbayer.com