I am happy to announce that I will be partnering with a local artist on my first visual arts project which will document the lives of entertainment workers. The name we have chosen for the project is, “Work”, as we feel that aptly captures the way many men and women feel about what they do in this business–IT IS JUST WORK!!
What is it about?
The aim of “Work” is to present a positive angle on the lives of “off the street” entertainment workers. What is meant by “off the street” is women who are not streetwalkers and who are charging from $200-$1000 and up for their services. Pimps and streetwalkers has been done a million times or more by the mainstream media and it portrays those women in the most negative light possible and is just more propaganda for keeping the business illegal and thus dangerous if a girl is not careful. That is not the goal of Work. This photo project will show women in a positive light: Who are the women behind the makeup, heels, tours and sugar daddies? Work aims to juxapose the real person alongside their alter egos in the world of adult work in an effort to remove the stigma attached to what the women do, advocate legalization, taxation and regulation as well as educate the public in the fact that there are far more SAFE and DISCREET women doing this than there are "other types". Rather than having written biographies per photo set, we invite the girls to do a Q&A voice recording detailing their biographies: Why they got into the business, likes/dislikes, legalization views and much more.
Types of girls we are looking for?
We are looking for women between the ages of 21-100, courtesans/dommes who charge $200 and up for their services and are not doing street work. This criteria was chosen to cover the widest range possible and collect the most varied stories possible. ***FACES DO NOT HAVE TO BE SHOWN IN THE PHOTO SESSION UNLESS YOU WANT IT TO BE!*** We are currently actively seeking volunteers for this project from all over the U.S. and travel plans will be announced soon.
Goal of Project?
To humanize women in adult work and advocate for legalization. To show that these women are real people, with hopes, dreams, goals and that these women have families that they love and care for. The only difference between a civvie and a sex worker is the job they do and nothing more.
About the artist:
Sharon Hughes (SHu) is from the small of Columbiana, AL and has recently relocated to Atlanta, GA as of January 2015 to live with her partner. She has long sought a way to make art and photography the central focus in her life and with the support of her partner that is slowly becoming a reality. She enjoys speading her free time taking photos, sneaking and eating chocolate (when she`s not supposed to) and spending time with their pets: A daschund and lovingly annoying black cat. She also enjoys taking her sketch pad outside on a sunny day…typical artist stuff. She can be reached at shuwerks@gmail.com if anyone is interested in participating in the project and/or is seeking more details.
