Photograph by
Gaskin, Gerard H., Trinidadian American, born 1965
Date
June 1995
Medium
digital
Dimensions
H x W: 11344 pixels × 7568 pixels
163.77 MB
Caption
"The balls are a celebration of black and Latino urban gay life. They were born in Harlem out of a need for black and Latino gays to have a safe space to express themselves. Balls are constructed like beauty and talent pageants. The participants work to redefine and critique gender and sexual identity through an extravagant fashion masquerade. Women and men become fluid, interchangeable points of departure and reference, disrupting the notion of a fixed and rigid gender and sexual self. My images try to show a more personal and intimate beauty, pride, dignity, courage, and grace that have been painfully challenged by mainstream society. All of this happens at night in small halls in cities all over the country. These photographs, taken in New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, and Washington, D.C., show us different views of these spaces as they are reflected in the eyes of house and ball members who perform what they wish these cities could be." – Gerard H. Gaskin
Description
This black and white image is shot from above the subject, Kelli. Kelli is looking up and into the camera. She is dressed in a black bra that is partially covered by a long, black, collared overcoat. Her short hair is styled in finger waves, reminiscent of popular hairstyles of the 1920s. She holds a cigarette out of the corner of her mouth. She holds her hands close to her body. Behind her is a typical living room setup. The scene is lit so that her silhouette with her cigarette is cast on the wall behind her.
Place captured
Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America
Portfolio/Series
Legendary
Classification
Media Arts-Photography
Type
black-and-white photographs
portraits
digital images
digital media - born digital
Topic
Communities
Dance
Fashion
Gender
Identity
LGBTQ
Music
Nightlife
Photography
Sexuality
Urban life
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gerard H. Gaskin
Object number
2019.44.7
Restrictions & Rights
© Gerard H. Gaskin
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd522848502-ca23-4156-b1f9-591138f1af23

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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