Alice O'Malley

For more than a decade, Alice O’Malley had a desire to “create a photographic archive of, by, and for those who inhabit the peripheries.” In addition to this self-portrait set ironically with a headless, armless fashion mannequin, she composed formal studio portraits of artists, performers, and friends living in New York’s Lower East Side who identify as defiantly non-traditional. Her portraits convey the unique personalities of individuals who find strength and camaraderie in “a place in which art and the avant-garde function as integral parts of urban life.” For example, fellow photographer Justine Kurland showed off her pregnancy as a virtual superwoman by wearing just a cape and boots. —Nancy Weekly 2020