Six photographers who’ve captured key moments in drag herstory
These artists have documented the changing face of drag culture.
By Sacha Dance
Important moments are documented through photographs, and these are some of the key photographers that have documented the history of drag through their work.
‘My Own Marilyn’ by David Lachapelle (2002)
View this post on Instagram
LaChapelle has a distinctive photographic style, taking influence from the heroic Andy Warhol. ‘My Own Marilyn’ is one of his most iconic photographs.
The shoot artfully pays homage to Warhol’s famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe, featuing a 10/10 snatch game from Amanda Lepore.
‘Jimmy Paulette+Tabboo!’ by Nan Goldin (1991)
View this post on Instagram
American photographer Nan Goldin has documented extremely important moments within the LGBTQ+ community.
Her book The Other Side includes photographs from the 1970s drag scene, while some of her most signifcant work includes her documentation of her friends struggling through the AIDS crisis.
Intimate and eye opening, her work has given context to real life stories through beautifully raw imagery.
‘Why Drag?’ by Magnus Hastings (2016)
View this post on Instagram
Magnus Hastings is renowned for his work ith drag queens: In 2016, he created a fabulous photography book titled Why Drag? which featured over 200 drag queens from around the world including Drag Race faves like Courtney Act and Bianca Del Rio.
Drag Con with Aaron Jay Young (2018)
View this post on Instagram
Aaron Jay Young’s work at Drag Con established him as one of the world’s premier drag queen photographers, capturing the psychological gulf between performer and consumer by shooting queens against a static backdrop as the chaotic noise of Drag Con surrounds them.
‘New York Club Kids’ by Waltpaper (2019)
View this post on Instagram
The impact of the New York Club Kid youth movement that started in the late ’80s and continued into the ’90 can still be seen on today’s drag scene, with performers like Violet Chachki often citing it as an influence on their aesthetic.
Last year, famed club kid Walt Cassidy aka Waltpaper released a photobook which shone a light on the substance behind the culture and the way the people involved were viewed at the time.
‘Alright Darling?’ by Greg Bailey (2018)
View this post on Instagram
The Alright Darling? photobook captures modern queens from the contemporary drag scene, capturing the various styles and identities that form a drag culture that’s more expressive than ever.