Think New York City in the '90s and most think glamazons and bright lights, but for photographer Katsu Naito, he saw the dark beauty of transsexual prostitutes in the Meatpacking district, which he captured in his Westside Rendezvous prostitute shoot.
It was only this year that the Japanese-born Naito decided to publish these edgy, intimate photos in a book of a time passed and unnoticed because, "15 years ago, images like these wouldn’t have been so easily accepted," Naito told Vice Magazine in an interview, "20 years later, all of the sex workers have moved on and there’s not so much of a stigma attached to this kind of thing anymore."
The beauty is embedded in the simple and raw elegance that these women faced given their reality of being poor and gay in New York at the time. I am absolutely compelled by the Westside Rendezvous prostitute shoot. In their faces there is a story that just begs you to sit down and see more of this amazing series.
Trans-Streetwalker Shoots
Katsu Naito Captures Gay New York in the '90s with Westside Rendezvous
Trend Themes
1. Acceptance of Edgy Photography - The increasing openness and inclusivity of society presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for photographers to capture previously stigmatized subject matter.
2. Beauty in Raw Reality - There is a disruptive innovation opportunity for artists to capture and showcase the beauty of marginalized communities and individuals.
3. Revival of Nostalgia - The revival of vintage culture and fascination with the aesthetics of past decades presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for artists to bring attention to overlooked art from previous eras.
Industry Implications
1. Photography - There is a disruptive innovation opportunity for photography companies to provide a platform for photographers to showcase edgy and controversial subject matter.
2. Art - There is a disruptive innovation opportunity for artists to create pieces that showcase the beauty of marginalized communities and challenge societal norms.
3. Publishing - There is a disruptive innovation opportunity for publishing companies to feature previously overlooked art from past decades, capitalizing on the current interest in nostalgia and vintage aesthetics.