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Miss Mariette, Dean of Photography
Mariette Pathy Allen was graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania and expected to spend her life
painting. But she says, "In 1978, I was in New Orleans
for Mardi Gras. By fluke, I stayed in the same hotel as a
group of crossdressers who invited me to join them for breakfast
on the last morning. When I took a group picture, I was moved
by the experience of looking into the eyes of one of the people
in the group and feeling that I was looking at the essence
of a human being rather than a man or a woman. "
She was captivated. From 1978 through the ‘80s, Mariette
photographed and interviewed male-to-female crossdressers
in relationships to spouses and children, in everyday life.
This work culminated in the publication of Transformations:
Crossdressers and Those Who Love Them, and an exhibition
at the Simon Lowinsky Gallery in 1990.
In the ‘90s, she expanded her work to include female-to-males
and male-to-females who live in the gender in which they identify.
Miss Mariette enjoys describing her portrait session with
you as "leading you to the dance of self-acceptance and
self-creation" to help you realize you are a three dimensional
person who can present yourself in many ways.
Along with exhibitions and books, Mariette gives
slide presentations on gender issues and consults for documentary
films that include transgender themes. In 1998 she worked
with Kate Davis and David Heilbroner on a film for A&E:
The Transgender Revolution, the first documentary
to emphasize political issues along with personal stories.
Southern Comfort, Kate Davis’s next film, for
which she also worked as consultant and still photographer,
has won 15 awards so far including GLAAD media nomination.
Miss Mariette's next book, The Gender Frontier
will offer images taken over many years of the people featured
in Southern Comfort, as well as other individuals
and events. The Gender Frontier will be published
in 2004.
Visit her web site at http://www.mariettepathyallen.com/
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