THE ORDINARY LIFE OF ALISON MARTINU

My series portrays the everyday life of Alison, a suburban cross-dresser living in Newcastle. These pictures are more than a temporary escape, they are testimony to the self-creation of identity. Alison describes the necessity of expressing their feminine identity as an alter ego. - ‘Very few of us are in a position to integrate both aspects of ourselves into our everyday lives. Also most heterosexual cross-dressers find their partners do not accept their inclinations and have to keep the whole thing secret.’ Digital Photography and the platform of Flickr revolutionised Alison’s experience of cross-dressing, as they never went out in public dressed up, it gave them an opportunity to experiment their femininity to other people. I followed them in their routine and rambles in North England. Cross-dressers like Alison might have remained overlooked as they usually perform for themselves. I have found interesting to reflect the ordinariness and duality of their life, demonstrating there are also other forms of transgenderism.