Elizabeth Waterman is a Los Angeles-based fine art photographer. A through-line in her body of work is the depiction of artists and performers of many genres and sub-cultures. Her distinctive photographs explore female sexuality, strippers and exotic dancers, drag queens, adult film actors, and portraits of artists. Her sold-out book MONEYGAME (XYZ books, 2021) features photographs of strippers from five cities across the U.S. (MONEYGAME II is in the works, scheduled for 2025). It has had exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe.
Waterman’s new book, CANDYLAND – featuring color splashed portraits of female adult film actors shot outdoors during the pandemic, as well as a foreword by Stormy Daniels – was released by Unicorn Publishing on September 30, 2024. There will be a book release party in London in October, and a launch/artist talk took place at Hauser & Wirth in Los Angeles in late September.
Recently, Waterman spent more than a month in Bangkok, Thailand photographing “ladyboys” and other sex workers. She continues to photograph these subjects, and the images will comprise another book, MONEYGAME Thailand, to be published in late 2025. Also in the works are several TV projects, including TRANSactions, a docu-follow series on Transgender strippers, and a show on the subculture of carnival performers.
Additionally, Waterman is working on a new series featuring diptychs of richly cross-processed colored images of dancers, to be shown at Anderson Yezerski gallery in Boston in 2026.
EXHIBITIONS
2023 MONEYGAME, Anderson Yezerski Gallery, Boston, MA
2023 Gorgeous Drag, Albumen Gallery, Photo London
2022 MONEYGAME, Boogie-Wall Gallery, London
2018 State of the World, Espace Beaurepaire, Paris, curated by Hossein Farmani
2016 The New Vintage, Show with Marcia Resnick, Jue Lan Club/Limelight Church, New York City, NY
2015 The Gruin Transfer, Group Show, Salomon Arts Gallery, New York City, NY
2014 The Dash, Group Show, Soma Studio, Sydney, Australia
2013 The New God, Solo Show, Wallplay, New York City, NY
2013 Who Shot Natalie White, Group Show, ROX Gallery, New York City, NY
EDUCATION
2007 BA, University of Southern California
BIBLIOGRAPHY
– Creative Boom, “Photographer Elizabeth Waterman challenges our perceptions of porn stars,” August 2024
– Los Angeles Times, “Two strip-club art photographers compare notes on race, region and what makes a good shot” June 2023
– Whitehot Magazine, “Elizabeth Waterman: Gorgeous Drag” by Anthony Haden-Guest” June 2023
– Los Angeles Times, “How a fine-art photographer recast the lives of exotic dancers through a female gaze,” November 2021
– LA Weekly, “Meet Photographer Elizabeth Waterman,” July 2021
– British Journal of Photography, “Dark Angels: Illuminating the beauty and athleticism of strippers,” October 2020
– Index.hu, “Hundreds of girls are working and changing hands for thousands of dollars,” April 2020.
– L’Oeil de La Photographie, “Elizabeth Waterman’s Dark Angels,” June 2017
– The Huffington Post, “Art With a Dose of Philosophy From the Millennial Generation,” October 15, 2013
AWARDS
– British Journal of Photography, Portrait of Humanity Book, Publication, May 2019
– Prix de la Photographie (PX3) 2018; Gold Winner in the Documentary Category, Silver Winner in the People Category, and Honorable Mention
– 16th Annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest, Photo of the Day, Editor’s Pick (September 21, 2018)
– The Biennial for Fine Art & Documentary, May 2019 Grant, Shortlisted, February 2019
BOOKS
“Candyland,” Photography Book, Unicorn Press UK, September 2024. Color splashed portraits of female adult film actors, 128 pages.
“Moneygame,” Photography Book, XYZ Books Lisbon, September 2021. Exposing lives of exotic dancers across America, 130 pages.
“Elizabeth Waterman Photographs 2011-2016,” Photography Book, Black & Gold Publishing, September 2016. Collection of portraits, 240 pages.
Editorials by photographer Elizabeth Waterman below
