Determined to supplement her meager income as a novice photographer, Juliana Beasley embarked on an eight-year odyssey as a professional nude dancer, specializing in “lap dances,” where a woman dances above a seated customer, erotically brushing against his body. From New York to Reno, Beasley worked in over two dozen strip clubs, dancing for twenty dollars a song, experiencing the rewards and pitfalls of the profession: variable income, flexible schedules, emotion… More >>
Like all the other reviewers have said, this book is a must read. Check it out now!
Rating: 5 / 5
Lapdancer is an awesome book of photography that perfectly, and realistically captures the heart and the subculture of stripping . The stories are surreal, as are the photographs themselves. The desperation of the pathetic patrons of these seedy joints comes out well. Their bloated faces, and frat boy outfits each tell a thousand different stories. This is not erotic, but gritty, and you feel for both the dancers and the customers. Why a strip joint patron would spend thousands of dollars on a stripper who he isnt going to ever have sex with is beyond me. But the book takes the reader behind the scenes, and captures exactly what the red light district is all about. And thats money. Many, many shots of the girls back in the dressing rooms counting outrageous sums of money for a few moments of gyrating above a desperate man. But the shots of the customers make the book worth buying. These guys remind me of everything I refuse to be. Fantastic art, beautiful, even haunting photographs, and a quick glimpse into the dirty, seedy world of strippers and the fools who worship them.
Rating: 5 / 5
I was shocked and disappointed to see the copy of Lapdancer placed high up above everyone’s heads in the Barns and Noble in Philadelphia.
Are they afraid someone might get lost in their fantasies and daydreams of Lapdancing in the pages? The photos are not porn,
they are real, honest and though
sometime awkward to look at, they represent a world which is rarely revealed or shared.
The beauty of the book are the photographs and the moments spent paging through and look at the
vivid and intimate images of the dancers are what makes this so incredibly powerful.
Regardless of where the book was placed, I bought a copy and have been sharing it with friends ever since.
Rating: 5 / 5
I was happy to get my hand on this book, since it truly changed my opinions about people in the sexy dancing industry. Who are the victims here? The dancers? The customers? None of them? All of them? There are no easy answers after looking in this amazing piece of work. Beasley has managed to really look into the human side of this world, which is all to often showed in a matter of cheap sensation. I would say this is documentary photography at it’s very best. Moving, clever, passionate photographs that really makes a difference.
Rating: 5 / 5
Lapdancer delivers an analysis of the life and culture of strip club dancers and their customers through photographs and essays. I was pleased with the sharpness of wit and honesty of an artist that the author put forth in her work. The book is like the gritty rock and roll or thumping techno that is heard in the clubs. It captures that element of fantasy but at the same time gives you the a hint of the rhythms and beats that drive the men who go to the clubs and the women who work there, all the while being just as sexy and playful as a dancer under the neon and blacklight. This book is beautiful. This book is art. Buy this book and enjoy!
Rating: 5 / 5