Girlfriend; Men Women and Drag by Michael James O’Brien with text by Holly Brubach was published by Random House in 1999.
1. Lavinia (Girlfriend), NYC, 1992
“I came to Manhattan with just a handbag” - Lavinia Co-op2. Ebony Jet (Girlfriend), NYC, 1992
“We’re all born naked, everything else is drag” - RuPaul Charles3. Miss Guy (Girlfriend), NYC, 1992
“You’ve got your mother in a whirl; she’s not sure if you’re a boy or a girl.”
- David Bowie, Rebel, Rebel4. Ming Vauze (Benjamin Liu) NYC, 1992
“Impersonation is the supreme act of creation.”
- Yukio Mishima, Forbidden Colors5. Mona Foote, Wigstock, NYC, 1992
“The living language of dreams. The dead language of waking…We must interpret and translate.”
- Jean Cocteau, The Diary of a Cure (Grove Press, 1955) Mona Foote is the performance persona of Nashom Wooden.6. Tabboo!, NYC, 1992
“They will roll down the rugs or sprawl carefully on coaches. Their make-up will be perfect. They will take back the night.”
- Chi Chi Valenti, Take Back the Night7. Billy Beyond and Sister Dimension, NYC, 1992
“Clothes are but the symbol of something hid deep beneath”
-Virginia Woolf, Orlando8. Lady Bunny, Wigstock, NYC, 1992
“The woman who comes by her beauty naturally is not necessarily intelligent or clever or even congenial-just lucky.”
- Holly Brubach, Girlfriend; Men, Women, and Drag (Random House, 1999)9. Ulrich Suss, NYC, 1992
“He rose. He stood upright in complete nakedness before us, and while the trumpets pealed Truth! Truth! Truth! we have no choice left but to confess - he was a woman.”
- Virginia Woolf, Orlando
Additional sizes are available.
All Prices are quoted as "initial price".
Please note that prices and availability may change due to current sales.
Girlfriend, Portfolio of 9 photographs
Girlfriend, 1990-1992
Portfolio of 9 photographs
Printed on Hahnemuhle fine art photo rag paperDimension for each print is 22 in. H x 17 in. W
(The overall size composition of the entire portfolio is:66 in. H x 51 in. W)
Limited Edition of 10 + 2APAll these portraits were made on tri-x BW film with a Pentax 6 x 7 photographed in Natural Light.
Michael James O’Brien is a multifaceted artist based in Atlanta, GA, known for his work as a photographer, teacher, curator, poet, and activist. He has held solo exhibitions in major cities worldwide, including New York, Paris, Beijing, and Istanbul. His photography is part of the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection in London and has been featured in esteemed publications such as Rolling Stone, Vogue UK, The New Yorker, and The Guardian. O'Brien authored Girlfriend; Men, Women, and Drag, published by Random House, and contributed to Matthew Barney’s Drawing Restraint 7 and Cremaster series. A dedicated activist, he has been involved with ACTUP and various HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, including the Love Ball and Live Positive Campaign. Currently, he serves as the Chair of Photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design and chairs the Advisory Council of Atlanta Celebrates Photography.
