the shutdown - sex workers

This photographic series documents women in New York City whose lives were abruptly reshaped by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After losing their jobs during prolonged shutdowns, the subjects turned to sex work as a means of survival within a city marked by inequality, resilience,and constant reinvention.

With prostitution illegal in New York state, some women turn to a dominatrix role and playful personas, using fantasy and performance as a legal, creative means of survival.