Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vivienne Maricevic. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Vivienne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My most meaningful project is photographing “Gender: Non-Conforming” series. I, first began photographing Transsexuals (male-to-female) and Drag Queens in the 80″s when the gender spectrum was narrow in New York City. The male-to-female transsexuals (were called transsexuals in the 80’s) mostly nude, since many look like regular women in full dress, so it was important for me to convince them to be photographed nude, to show that they were once male and had a penis. The drag queens were photographed as triptychs. First, fully dressed as a male, then the middle photograph was their transitioning photograph, third photograph as their drag queen persona. It took hours for them to do their makeup and dress, but always well worth the wait. This series was published in a monograph by Edition Stemmle in 1995 for a US version and a German version. I received a New York Foundation Photography Fellowship for these photographs in 1987.
Today, 40+years later, I am revisiting this project to photograph the broader spectrum of “Gender: Non-Conforming”, includes Trans (male-to-female & female-to-male), Drag Queens, Drag Kings, Gender Fluid, Non-Binary and Other. Their is a strong difference between the “then and “now” photographs of the project in the people that I photograph. Mainly, it is a lot healthier for them today, since the female or male hormones today, are medically approved and some of the professional doctors who work in the gender reassignment sector are trans, too.
I am passionate about continuing to photograph my “Gender: Non-Conforming” series to enlighten others about gender and to document the changing bodies of those who are trans with photographs.

Vivienne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Since 1975, as a fine-art photographer, my specialization is exploring different aspects of erotica, sexuality and gender. I am interested in photographing subject matter that offers many challenges, obstacles and difficulties dealing with the pathology of our times with references to sociology. It all began with my first series, photography male nudes, since I rarely saw any male nudes published in magazines or books. Then, a thread began to connect with related series.

Photographing environmental “Naked Men” (“She Shoots Men, Schiffer Books, published in 2003) in 1975 led to documenting “Male Burlesk” (Male Burlesk 1980 – 1981, Times Square, NYC, Drkrmeditions.com, published in 2024) in 1981 which led to documenting NYC’s Times Square’s “Live Sex Shows” in the mid-80’s. Photographing performers from the adult x-rated movie industry in 1985 for my “Porn Stars” series enabled me to explore the male gender embracing their female persona thru the 1990’s for my transsexual series. This series resulted in a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in 1987, along with an Artist Grant from Artist Space, NYC in 1989. Edition Stemmle published my solo monograph, “Male-to-Female (La Cage Aux Folles)” in 1995, featuring nudes of male-to-female transsexuals and triptychs of drag queens and transvestites.

Today, I continue on my passion and mission of photographing related series of the broader spectrum of Gender: Non-Conforming, which included Trans (male-to-female & female-to-male), drag queens, drag kings, gender fluid, non-binary and other, all which challenges the social construction of gender.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, a fine art photographer and being creative is the strong feeling of purpose.
Ever since I was a child in the second grade, I went to see a drawing that I did with my mother, to a storefront window display that exhibited my drawing, along with others that were selected. I recall seeing my name, under the drawing, my age and school name. From that very moment, I knew that I would always create and became my everyday of doing.
From the beginnings of my photography, to this day, I am always photographing and know this brings much meaning to my life, along with sharing my photographs with others.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

From the beginnings of my photographic, creative journey, I sought out photography to do that wasn’t in the mainstream.
My first photographic series, began in 1975, which was photographing male nudes, since they weren’t seen or published as frequently as the female nude. It was difficult to have these photographs published in magazines or books, but kept on photographing the male nude, which I do to this day. All other continuing series, Male Burlesk, Live Sex Shows, Porn Stars, Transsexuals (male-to-female), Drag Queens, Drag Kings, S&M&B&D, Black Male Nudes, Gender: Non Conforming, are all series that offered challenges and obstacles to do.
My monographs include “Male-to-Female (La Cage Aux Folles0”, featuring nudes of male-to-female transsexuals and drag queens, “She Shoots Men” featuring male nudes from 1975 to 2005 and “Male Burlesk 1980 – 1981, Times Square, NYC”.
My mission and goal is to keep photographing, in order to enlighten others about nudity and gender, with monographs to be published by reputable publishers.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @vmaricevic

Image Credits

(c) Vivienne Maricevic