Welcome to Jacques Cabaret!

Jacques Cabaret (Est 1931)  is one of the oldest drag queen venues in Boston, MA.  In 2007, as I sat with my friend waiting for the drag show to commence, I sipped on my vodka and listened to the obnoxious bachelorette parties that surrounded us.

The lights are dim, the music starts, and the opening number begins.  As I watched these really tall women work the stage and interact with the audience, I was blown away by their raw and uncut power.

Off and on, over the past five years, I would frequent Jacques to make photographs of the girls.  After seeing their stage show, I was really interested in capturing them behind the scenes - The making of a drag queen.  One weekend when I didn't make it to a performance, one of the girls said to me, "Keiko, you missed your routine last week."  I was really happy to hear that - the girls now refer to me as their Ninja photographer. 

I have been afforded the opportunity to get to know the queens and the people at Jacques, not just as subjects but also as individuals.  The spotlight continues to shine on them through my photographs.

「DRAG QUEEN ジャックス･キャバレーの夜」

初めてDRAG QUEENのショーを観たのは、友人に連れて行かれたボストンにあるジャックス･キャバレーだった。ドアには粗末なネオンサインが瞬き、ウォッカをたのむとプラステイックのカップが目の前に出てきた。
店内は薄暗く、一見して常連とわかる男性客、背が高く二の腕たくましい女性客、騒々しいだけのバチェラレット･パーテイー(結婚式前夜の新婦と、その友人たちによるドンチャン騒ぎ)に混じって、私たちはショーが始まるのを待った。
  ショーは衝撃的で、頭に稲妻が走ったように自分が興奮していくのを感じた。舞台の上での性表現は過激であり、滑稽であり、底知れなく明るかった。
  DRAG QUEENたちはなんと不思議な存在感を持つのだろう。どぎついまでの個性的な出で立ち、惜しみなく露出する肉体美、嘲笑するかのようなセックス･トーク。もしもこれらが通常の男性による舞台であれば、私はとても恥ずかしくて観ていられなかっただろうし、女性によるパフォーマンスならば、何とも言えないバツの悪さを感じたかもしれない。
  DRAG QUEENたちのあっけらかんとした性へのアプローチと溢れるエネルギーは、私の持つ俗物的道徳観、羞恥心をことごとく打ち砕いてくれた。

撮影を通して、彼女たちの新たな一面もたくさん発見した。
舞台の上で客をこき下ろし、セックス･ジョークを連発するクリスの素顔は、はにかんだ笑顔を持つLLサイズ紳士服専門店の店長だった。「なに撮ってもいいけど……私が下着を替えている時はなしね。それが私とのルールよ」と言ったのは、最初に撮影の許可を得たジャックス･キャバレー伝説のDRAG QUEENミザリーだった。
こうしてDRAG QUEENと親しくなるにつれ、私はどんどん彼ら（彼女ら）の世界にのめりこんでいったのだった。
  私にとって写真とは「出会い」そのものであり、カメラは未知なる世界と出会うための秘密の扉を開ける鍵でもある。DRAG QUEENたちの自由でしたたかな生きざまは、私に進むべきひとつの方向性を示してくれたと同時に、写真を通した人生の新たな局面を与えてくれたと感じている。

２００９年ギャラリーバウハウス展示会ステートメントより。

Welcome to Jacques Cabaret!

Jacques Cabaret (Est 1931)  is one of the oldest drag queen venues in Boston, MA.  In 2007, as I sat with my friend waiting for the drag show to commence, I sipped on my vodka and listened to the obnoxious bachelorette parties that surrounded us.

The lights are dim, the music starts, and the opening number begins.  As I watched these really tall women work the stage and interact with the audience, I was blown away by their raw and uncut power.

Off and on, over the past five years, I would frequent Jacques to make photographs of the girls.  After seeing their stage show, I was really interested in capturing them behind the scenes - The making of a drag queen.  One weekend when I didn't make it to a performance, one of the girls said to me, "Keiko, you missed your routine last week."  I was really happy to hear that - the girls now refer to me as their Ninja photographer. 

I have been afforded the opportunity to get to know the queens and the people at Jacques, not just as subjects but also as individuals.  The spotlight continues to shine on them through my photographs.

「Drag Queen 2011」

私は2007年に、ボストンにある“ジャックス・キャバレー”でドラッグ・クイーンたちの撮影を始めました。

そして2009年にgallery bauhausでそれらの作品を「DRAG QUEEN ジャックス・キャバレーの夜」として発表しました。
今回のシリーズは、2011年の3月から撮り始めたものです。
2度目の撮影となるため、作品に新たな視点と方向性を見出すことが私の最大の課題でした。
2007年の撮影時には、私は英語でいうFly On The Wall(壁のハエ)のように自分の気配を殺しながら撮影に臨みました。 
しかし、今回の撮影ではクイーン達との関係を楽しみながら、自分自身が現場に「存在」することを否定せず、「存在」によって生じる共有する時間や繋がり、そして緊張感を感じながらそれらを作品に定着させる試みをしてみました。

２０１１年ギャラリーバウハウス展示会ステートメントより。

Welcome to Jacques Cabaret!

Jacques Cabaret (Est 1931)  is one of the oldest drag queen venues in Boston, MA.  In 2007, as I sat with my friend waiting for the drag show to commence, I sipped on my vodka and listened to the obnoxious bachelorette parties that surrounded us.

The lights are dim, the music starts, and the opening number begins.  As I watched these really tall women work the stage and interact with the audience, I was blown away by their raw and uncut power.

Off and on, over the past five years, I would frequent Jacques to make photographs of the girls.  After seeing their stage show, I was really interested in capturing them behind the scenes - The making of a drag queen.  One weekend when I didn't make it to a performance, one of the girls said to me, "Keiko, you missed your routine last week."  I was really happy to hear that - the girls now refer to me as their Ninja photographer. 

I have been afforded the opportunity to get to know the queens and the people at Jacques, not just as subjects but also as individuals.  The spotlight continues to shine on them through my photographs.

Artist Statement: Monadnock Street.  Neighborhood story

I moved into a house on "Monadnock Street" in 2005.  I have been taking pictures since then: photographing my house, neighbors and what I see on streets.  

I like hearing kids playing outside on summer days.   I am reminded of my mother's up-bringing with her family and stories of their childhoods. My mother is from a large family. She grew with many siblings and relatives in rural Japan.  I always liked hearing stories of her growing up with her family and friends, when I was a kid.   Whenever I visited my grandparents house where my mother grew up, there was a sense of community.  I, on the other hand am an only child and have never lived with any extended family members.  

Being "a foreigner"  & a single 30-somthing (or 20-something) in Boston, USA, I had often felt that I never had time for  a neighborhood community: Life got busy, and spending time with  friends of shared interests and mutual common ground was natural things to do.  Simply "living in the same neighborhood"  was not good enough until I moved to Monadnock Street.

 "Monadnock Street" is my neighborhood community, where we can be open and receive each others and be friends. To me, it is wonderful...

Photography always takes me experiencing the new world, and introduces me to someone I have not yet met, and life I have not yet known. It is a personal project for me and my first project to work on.  It helps me come to realize more about myself as a person and allowing me to learn and understand what it means to be a photographer.

The twelve Tribes is a messianic and self-governing religious community.  The community was founded by Elbert Eugene Spriggs, a former school counselor, during the Jesus Movement of the early 1970’ in Chattanooga, TN.  The Twelve Tribes community is one of the few movements from that time to still surviving.

The community requires its members to give up their all possession upon joining and follow the Bible word to word.  They renounce individualism, serve Yahshua (Jesus Christ) and prepare his return and the end of the world.  Members believe that they are disciples of Yahshua, different from Christians, and re-creating the Twelve Tribes of Israel.  One of the prophecies in the book of Revelation says Yahshua will not return until the Twelve Tribes reform and produce 144.000 pure and Virginal young male to send out and warn the populace about His impending return.  So life of current days Twelve Tribes is a foundation stage.  Members are about preparing for the future-preparing devout and obedient children to have children who will have children, who will have children and who will produce the virgin men.

While working on the project, I frequented to the Twelve Tribes Boston community.  I thank the community for all their hospitality.

my on going street photography project in Europe.

Street photography is my treasured time. It is the most relaxing, refreshing, inspiring and invigorating . It is my process of being touch in with my inner self. I meet people, I get glimpses into subject’s lives, and I focus on shape and form.

Keiko is available for assignment world wide.

Please contact Keiko; keiko(at)keikohiromi.com
617-869-2272 (USA)

Harvard University Ballroom Dance Competition in Cambridge, MA, USA

My on going street photography project in America.  

Street photography is my treasured time. It is the most relaxing, refreshing, inspiring and invigorating . It is my process of being touch in with my inner self. I meet people, I get glimpses into subject’s lives, and I focus on shape and form.