Harlem’sgayballsubcultureofthelate1980sissuperblydocumentedinthistroveofpreviouslyunseenphotographs.In1989,MalcolmMcLarenhadhisonlynumberonehitwithasinglecalled“DeepinVogue.“Earlythenextyear,Madonnahadoneofthebiggesthitsofhercareer,withthesingle“Vogue,“andwhenJennieLivingston’sfilmParisIsBurningarrivedincinemasthesameyear,winningtheGrandJuryPrizeattheSundanceFilmFestival,themainstreamgothiptoNewYorkCity’sextraordinaryballculture,fromwhichthefilmandMcLarenandMadonna’ssongshadarisen.ParisIsBurningdocumentedagayballroomscenethatemergedinHarleminthemid-1980s,whichdrewAfricanAmericanandLatinogayandtransgendercommunitiestocompeteagainstoneanotherfortheirdancingskills,theverisimilitudeoftheirdragandtheirabilitytowalkontherunway.PhotographerChantalRegnaultspentmanyyearsrecordingthisscene,fromwhichthedancestyleknownasvoguingarose.Avisualriotoffashion,polysexualityandsubversivestyle,VoguingandtheBallroomSceneofNewYork1989-1992isalsoanextraordinarydocumentonsexualityandrace.ThewildyearsofvoguingarevividlycapturedinhundredsofRegnault’samazing,previouslyunpublishedphotographs.Thebookalsofeaturesinterviewswithkeyfiguresfromthemovement,essays,flyersandephemera.PhotographeranddocumentaristChantalRegnaultwasborninFrance.SheleftParisafterthe1968uprisingsandlivedinNewYorkforthenext15years.Attheendofthe1980sshebecameimmersedinHarlem’svoguingscene.Alsoaroundthistime,RegnaultdevelopedaninterestinHaitianvoodoocultureandbegantodividehertimebetweenHaitiandNewYork.Herwidelypublishedphotographshaveappearedinmajormagazinesandnewspapers,includingVanityFairandtheNewYorkTimes.
