Ralph Lee

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

This black-and-white portrait, captured on Kodak Tri-X film with a 35mm Pentax, features Ralph Lee, the visionary founder of the Village Halloween Parade. Seated within his Westbeth Studio during the mid-1980s, Lee is surrounded by the very puppets and masks that defined the early aesthetic of the iconic New York City event. The illumination from a professional Norman strobe highlights the intricate textures of his creations—from the pig-like figure in a top hat to the weathered, expressive faces of his larger-than-life puppets. Lee leans into the frame with a quiet, generous presence, offering a rare glimpse into the creative sanctuary where he lived and worked. The high-contrast black-and-white tones lend a timeless, slightly surreal quality to the scene, documenting the intimate intersection of the artist and his craft.