In Los Angeles, I became enchanted with the faded glamour hiding in plain sight.
I stumbled upon a disconnected subculture populated with dazzling, glamorous
mature females. In an ongoing body of work, I seek out and photograph fabulous women for the collaborative portrait series.
The work includes pictures of individuals who answered an online ad soliciting older women to pose as glamorous movie stars:
Seeking fabulous, striking, interesting older woman to pose as a glamorous movie star for photo series. Please submit a photo and describe how you would pose as a glamorous movie star. There is no pay, but images will be provided. All types welcome. Thank you!
The pictures are collaborations: I ask each person to provide her own makeup, hair, and wardrobe. The women can shape their portrayal as active players in the affair. Some base their performances on familiar movie stars, while others create personas inspired by a combination of old Hollywood movies, personal versions of glamour, and neglected gowns from the closet.
The shows are fantasies, and the performance reflects each person’s idea of glamour, revealing perceptions of Hollywood. The women are understood to be motivated by the desire to perform, as though this essential desire had been left idle and unfulfilled. While posing as a glamorous movie star, a dream is activated, and each person is, for a moment, fulfilling their fantasy.
