Since the 1970s, Mariette Pathy Allen has been documenting the trans, drag, and gender diverse communities around the world. Now she’s getting a well-deserved retrospective.
From June 1 to July 30, Culture Lab LIC will present Breaking Boundaries: 50 Years of Images. Allen said:
The importance of this exhibition in this retrograde, evil political climate, can’t be exaggerated. We hope that by presenting transgender and non-binary people as relatable, caring, and creative, we can help to dispel the misinformation and fear of gender and sexual non-conforming people.
Breaking More Boundaries features invited artists, including Zackary Drucker and Jess T. Dugan. Allen said she wanted to connect her own work with that of younger artists.
I began to form this exhibition by inviting two young and highly-accomplished artists, Zackary Drucker and Jess T. Dugan, whose portraiture of strong, courageous people reminded me of some of the heroic people I photographed over the years who led the way to greater freedom of expression. I feel these artists’ love for the people they photograph is similar to mine.
Allen has documented a number of key historical figures, including late healthcare activist Robert Eads and policy activist Jamison Green (below).
Check out Allen’s Instagram for more examples of her vast body of work.
To learn more about the exhibition, visit the Culture Lab LIC website at culturelablic.org.
Images: Mariette Pathy Allen
