Paris

16x20 inch Black & White print on Epson Art Cotton Smooth 250 gram paper. From the NYC Village Halloween Parade, 1982–86.

A flamboyant drag performer in an Eiffel Tower headpiece dominates this black-and-white scene from the Village Halloween Parade, their face frozen in a joyful, open-mouthed expression. Captured on high-contrast Tri-X film with a 35mm Pentax between 1982 and 1986, the masquerader's ensemble is a masterclass in camp, featuring exaggerated pearls, curlers, and an oversized stuffed poodle tucked under one arm. The powerful burst from a studio grade professional flash cuts through the New York City night, illuminating the varied reactions of the nearby spectators. To the left, a man with a camera around his neck offers a subtle, knowing smirk toward the lens, while behind him, other revelers in striped costumes and face paint blend into the energetic, grainy atmosphere of Greenwich Village. This strobe-lit portrait perfectly preserves the irreverent and communal spirit that defined the parade's mid-80s era.