Oilnymph from the “Mermaids Series” by Fritz Kok ~ https://www.invaluable.com/artist/kok-fritz-3cw13muyxy/
“You never had a rope around your neck. Well, I’m going to tell you something. When that rope starts to pull tight, you can feel the Devil bite your ass.”
Christer Strömholm’s 1950s-60s photos of Parisian trans women are so gripping for me because they celebrate the materiality of trans life during an era when trans people supposedly didn’t exist. Although we know little about the women, he titled each piece with their respective name.
Strömholm mastered chiaroscuro and who better to focus on than subjects that could light up any room? Rather than centering the quotidian horrors of midcentury trans existence (as most contemporaneous artists did), the series reflects on love, laughter, and everyday life.
Strömholm died in 2002 but his photos are still frequently exhibited in galleries around the world. For more on his photography and other colorized photos from trans history, see http://elierlick.com/color!
~ Circus cup decorated with flowers and birds
Place of origin: Varpelev, Denmark
Period: Roman