Stripped is an ongoing project centered on the lives of the exotic dancers at Roaring 20’s, a San Francisco strip club. The main focus is the complexity and ambiguity of these women, the lifestyle they’ve chosen, and the diversity of their backgrounds. With all the generalizations that abound concerning this particular industry, I felt it was important to document the reality without any idealization or pretense. The ultimate goal is to have the project as two self-containing parts of a larger whole. The first part is based on the community of women within the club, strengthened by the volatility of their work environment. The second part follows the women through their lives outside the club, carrying out the daily activities so many can relate to. The duality of the project is to create a visual contrast; the women as dancers versus the women as simply themselves.
In achieving the completion of this project I aspire to provide insight not only to the women at Roaring 20’s and similar clubs, but also to women in general. To initiate dialogue on the issues that apply to everyday women; female chauvinism, self-identity, why such an industry still thrives, to name a few. If nothing else, I hope to dispel a few stereotypes and provide an honest look into the world of a group of amazing women I’ve come to know and care for.
