I moved to New York in 1997. Often hearing of the "good old days" in New York City, referring to the eccentric, free-spirited 70s & early 80s. In those days, blatant sexuality was common, more out in the open. In the late 80s and through the 90s, the party scene in New York changed, due to the AIDS epidemic and puritanical politicians. During my first couple of years in NYC, I hadn't known of any of these "old school" parties taking place. Then, in the winter of 2001, I was told of a private party that was happening downtown.

I was a bit nervous as I walked alone through the door, not knowing what to expect. I carried my small 35mm camera in my back pocket, which allowed me to capture an image quickly (and hide the camera just as fast, if the situation warranted). Once I had checked the place out, I found myself a bit awestruck and, frankly, surprised from what was going on around me (but at the same time I felt totally ecstatic to be a part of this secret gathering).

One could dance the night away, while taking breaks to watch (or partake in) some explicit sex act in the back "darkroom" or maybe just off in the corner of the main room. The male entertainers (dancers) paraded along the top of the bar wearing the tiniest undies, and sometimes completely nude. The exchange of money from patron to dancer was delivered with a touch to the crotch. It felt as if everyone had been uncaged and all rules were barred.

As time passed by, male dancers became more visible in popular gay bars and dance clubs. Although nudity wasn’t allowed, I could still feel the aggression and masculine energy between the dancers & patrons. Photographing in all these spaces has become part of the project “PUBLIC”.

My intent has never been to expose any particular individual, but rather respect the anonymity one expects visiting these parties. Cropping out faces was done precisely for this reason, also creating tension in the image. My original interest was, and still is, in capturing the aggression, movement and overall feeling that I experienced - not to document the individuals or the particular establishment.

When I walked through the door into my first underground party, I wasn’t thinking about beginning a new project. I thought I would capture a couple of images, but soon I became a voyeur; I was capturing images and evidence for a time when these parties would be gone again.