I stumbled across the Crossdressers International house while pursuing a location for a different series. Just a glance materialized into hours of schmoozing and laughing. I had come across the image of New York I had only heard stories of. Months later, I returned with my camera, not to make observations but to form visual and verbal relationships.
From dinners within the confines of this small, Midtown garden apartment to events in restaurants and excursions to their favorite tavern, these seemingly unordinary people find their place as ordinary women. This project is not laced with boas and is not meant to exploit their identity like so many documentations of gender performance are. The seemingly average lifestyle of these women is what most interests me. These women’s stories are littered with wives and partners, children and professions. Some come from supportive backgrounds and some remain secretive.
The best stories are told first hand. Art viewers bring their own experience to relate to the piece. As an outsider with similarities, I bring my own experience to a setting until my subjects become an experience.