Starting in childhood, I painted and made collages. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with an MFA in painting, I took a workshop with Harold Feinstein. Instead of the isolation of the painting studio, I found myself on the street, interacting with people. My earliest photographic work, 1967-1969, consisted of black and white images of Philadelphia and New Jersey. (1) Don’t be a Dishwasher). At the same time, I began an ongoing series, “People with art” also in black and white. "People with art" is an ongoing series that also began in 1968. The "a" in art is small as I enjoy defining "art" rather loosely. Sometimes the subject is people making art, people in juxtaposition to art or kitsch, people in art spaces, or even, people as art. (2) Artist with Painting). In 1978, serendipitously, I found myself in a hidden world of male to female crossdressers and their families, people who were usually labeled unsavory and unlovable. What I found instead were fascinating people who opened up a world in which the straightjacket of binary gender roles could be loosened. In 1989, my book, “Transformations: Crossdressers and Those Who Love Them”, was published (3) Beth and her husband, Rita, 4) Felicity). During the 80’s and 90’s, I also photographed drag artists, modern dancers, and other performers (5) Sunday Morning in Harlem, 6) Mick Jagger). By 1993, the “transgender community” had become a political movement. Male to female and female to male gender variant people united to fight discrimination (7) Drew, 8) Maxwell at Home). My involvement with this movement resulted in the publication of “The Gender Frontier” in 2003. I continue working with transgender people in the US and abroad looking for greater diversity. I’ve also started a new series “Scapes”, which relates to my painting. It focuses on places, color, signage, and odd juxtapositions. (9) Shumart, 10) Disney World)
