Artist's Statement

As an artist, I had long been interested in the universal power and necessity of religious ritual and its theatrical qualities. Until a few years ago, I was known as a sculptor and performance artist. Primarily, I created large scale “environmental installations” in which I performed “religious rituals” as performance art. For these, I decorated entire rooms with silk-screened wall-papers and hand-sewn flags; built and decorated armoire-sized “shrines” populated by figures in elaborate costumes. Garbed in one of my own creations, I was temporarily transformed into a kind of deity or shaman, mediating between the earthly and divine realms, embodying something greater than myself..

Viewers who entered into these sacred spaces of my creation, found themselves drawn into a mysterious ritual of no specific existing religion, bringing to it their own their emotions and personal histories. Often, visitors reported profound religious experiences.

Many of the costumes and items used in these performances are now in major museums and collections throughout the world. Most recently, one was purchased by the Jewish Museum in NYC and included in the book “Masterworks of the Jewish Museum”.

Five years ago, inspired by a book of 19 th century erotic photographs, I began taking nude portraits. At first, it was merely a whim, a diversion between exhibitions of my more serious work. My desire was to simply create a beautiful image. I bought an old-fashioned large format camera, created a set in my studio, paid a model, and took some pictures. . The results were so beautiful, I had such a wonderful time doing it, and the response to the photographs was so strong, I felt as if I was really on to something. I put aside my other work and dedicated myself to the photography.

I created a website to display my photos and get some feedback. It didn't take long before models found my site and asked to pose for me, free. They came from all over the country, and then from all over the world -- as far off as Iceland and Italy, at their own expense -- to participate in my work.

Once again, this time in my own studio, I set the stage, provided the costumes, and allowed my subjects to play a role. Inhabiting this fantastic version of themselves, they became transformed into something else, embodying an image of transcendent beauty and sexuality. By losing themselves in a role, they revealed themselves. They were able to expose themselves in the most intimate of ways while hiding behind the role they were playing. One after another expressed how strongly they wanted to show themselves to the world and how exciting, liberating and empowering the experience was.

Initially, I used props that I found at yard sales, thrift shops, and discount stores. Costume jewelry, lace and silk blouses, stockings, shawls, etc. I furnished my sets with things I'd collected over the years traveling all over the world -- Turkish carpets, Moroccan kilims, silks from India and Thailand. Some props I built myself. Backdrops were rich brocade upholstery fabric, purchased in the many fabric stores in Manhattan's garment district.

The longer I worked in this medium, the more I wanted my imprint on everything.

I began to design and make elaborate costumes and jewelry specifically for each of my subjects. Draped in my robes and encrusted in fabulous jewels and crowns, they become some kind of fantastic royal figures.

My models come from all walks of life -- artists, dancers, burlesque performers, as well as psychologists, archeologists, marketing executives, students, housewives, even physicists, ranging in age from 18 to 50. Although I shoot mostly women, I have also photographed men, couples and the transgendered. The one trait they share is a burning need to display their sexual and personal selves to others, and to be able to see themselves, both as they truly are and, at the same time, as the most ideal vision of themselves.