During the 1970s, Maricevic embarked on a photographic exploration of New York City's hidden corners, from the captivating allure of gay male burlesque to the clandestine world of live sex shows in Times Square theaters. Her remarkable achievement lay in persuading individuals to grant her unprecedented access, capturing the unseen through her camera lens.
Maricevic went about documenting live burlesque performances at iconic and notorious gay venues in Times Square during the early 1980s, including The Ramrod, Big Top Lounge, Unicorn, Hombre and The Crazy Horse. She held a unique position as the sole professional photographer granted unrestricted access to these shows. Her striking images offer a fi rsthand glimpse into the gritty, raw, and occasionally whimsical atmosphere of these performances.
While Times Square has evolved into a "bleached out Capitalist void" over the decades, MALE BURLESK-TIMES SQUARE NYC 1980-1981 remains a rare artifact, a historic document of New York's bygone erotic history — a testament to a bygone era that one would now eagerly queue to witness. It's sobering to consider that many of the young men captured in these photographs are no longer with us. This book serves as both a tribute to a marginalized group and a captivating testimony to a culture, a time, and a place now lost to history, preserved only through Vivienne Maricevic's poignant images.
VIVIENNE MARICEVIC has been photographing different aspects of erotica, sexuality and gender since 1975. "I am interested in photographing subjects that pose a real challenge and capture the complexities, obstacles and diffi culties of today's world, all while giving a nod to the social aspects of life." Her photographic series include Naked Men, Male Burlesk, Times Square -Live Sex Shows, Porn Stars, Transsexuals, triptychs of Transvestites/Drag Queens, S&M, Embracing Gender and the Black Male Nude. Her work has been exhibited and published world wide along with inclusion in collections here and abroad.
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