Candyland

On the heels of Moneygame, photographer Elizabeth Waterman’s acclaimed series on strippers across the United States, the lockdown prevented access to crowded and possibility superspreader nightclubs. To move forward, she conceived Candyland, a new series of images, this time centred on female adult entertainers set against colour-washed, light-filled Southern California locales.By putting the spotlight - and the sunlight - on professional porn stars, Waterman shows a new side of these women, portraying them as ’goddesses of sex and light, fully owning their bodies and sexuality with innate empowerment.’ The actresses co-authored the images with photographer, making for playfully styled, lush environments where each performer’s personality shines through. Waterman says, ’I liked showing them in deliciousness, excess, and fun and glory The porn stars that I photographed were happy to be doing what they were doing, they loved having sex and they were good at it.’

Los Angeles-based Elizabeth Waterman is an American fine art photographer. A through line in her distinctive body of work is the depiction of the ongoing metamorphosis of artists and performers of many genres. Her images explore female sexuality, sex work, strippers, obsessions, and portraits of artists. Waterman’s style has been called both transcendent and transformative. Elegantly composed, it is infused with directness and authenticity. Born in Taos, New Mexico, Waterman holds a B.A. in Fine Art from the University of Southern California.