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''Body Alchemy: Transsexual Portraits'' is a 1996 book collecting photographs and writing of Loren Cameron. It documents the process of transition and everyday lives of the author and other
trans men A trans man or transgender man is a man who was assigned female at birth. Trans men have a male gender identity, and many trans men undergo Gender transition, medical and social transition to alter their appearance in a way that aligns with th ...
.


Background and production

Cameron emerged as a transgender photographer in the 1990s. He used photography to document his own transition and then expanded to photographing others. Early in his transition, Cameron sent self-portraits to friends and family members. He realized that this helped them understand his journey as a trans man, which made him want to photograph other trans people. He received public notice for his work: in 1994, for example, his photographs of transgender people were exhibited at a San Francisco gallery. In many of the self-portraits, the shutter-release bulb is visible. Cameron used a shutter-release bulb because he typically worked alone. He did not attempt to conceal the bulb. In the introduction to ''Body Alchemy'', Cameron explains that he sees the bulb as a metaphor: "I am creating my own image alone, an act that reflects the transsexual experience as well."


Summary

''Body Alchemy'' depicts transition and the everyday lives of transgender men through photographs. In the introduction, Loren Cameron describes his working-class upbringing, his passion for photography, and his transition. The first half of the book is mostly full of self-portraits. The "Self-Portraits" section includes portraits of Cameron in a variety of poses and outfits: carrying a flag, breaking a glass bottle against a fence, holding a gun to his head. Each photograph is accompanied by a few paragraphs of Cameron's writing, typically either a relevant anecdote or reflection. "God's Will" contains photographs of a nude Cameron posing like a bodybuilder. In one photo, he injects testosterone into his buttock. In "Distortions," photographs of a shirtless Cameron are framed by
transphobic Transphobia consists of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender or transsexual people, or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger towards people who do not conform to social ...
statements. On these pages, Cameron's image is boxed in by phrases such as "My attraction to you doesn't mean I'm gay: You're really a woman" and "You must be some kind of freak". In the second half of the book, Loren Cameron also includes the photographs and stories of other trans people. In "The New Man Series," Cameron photographs everyday transgender men. Each man also provides a short anecdote about his transition related to the picture. For example, a man named Matt Rice describes his experience working at a gay
biker bar A biker bar is a bar that is frequented by bikers (motorcycle riders). Some are owned or managed by people who are friendly toward bikers.
; he poses with a motorcycle for his photograph. The section "Our Bodies" depicts anonymous photographs of transgender men's genitalia and chests. Two subjects have undergone metoidoplasty, while a third has undergone
phalloplasty Phalloplasty (also called penoplasty) is the construction or reconstruction of a penis or the artificial modification of the penis by surgery. The term is also occasionally used to refer to penis enlargement. History Russian surgeon Nikolaj B ...
. Another man photographed has not pursued bottom surgery; instead, he uses
genital piercings Genital piercing is a form of body piercing that involves piercing a part of the genitalia, thus creating a suitable place for wearing different types of jewellery. Nevertheless, the term may also be used ''pars pro toto'' to indicate all body pi ...
to restructure his genitalia. This section also includes two photographs of men who have pursued top surgery with different surgical techniques. In "Fellas," Loren Cameron interviews his subjects about their jobs and hobbies. Men photographed include an electrician, a police officer, and a professor. The section "Emergence" also contains text from interviews with trans men. Each describes his transition and his sexuality. The text is paired with a photo of each man before and after his transition. The final section, "Duo," contains photos of Loren Cameron and Kayt, his partner at the time. Photographs are accompanied by statements from each person about gender, sexuality, and their relationship. In the book, Kayt describes herself as "FTM-identified" and also as a member of the
lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
community.


Reception and impact

''Body Alchemy'' received generally positive reviews from LGBTQ and feminist journals. It was not widely reported in the mainstream press. ''Body Alchemy'' received two Lambda Literary Awards in 1996. The Lambda Literary Awards, or "Lammys," are an American award for literary works about LGBTQ+ topics. ''Body Alchemy'' won the Small Press Award and the Transgender Award. It was also shortlisted for the Photography/Visual Arts Award. Scholar Caio Jade Puosso Cardoso Gouveia Costa closely analyzed the nude self-portraits in the section "God's Will." In each photo, Cameron holds a different object—a syringe, a scalpel, and a dumbbell. Costa interprets these to represent
hormone replacement therapy Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy or postmenopausal hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy used to treat symptoms associated with female menopause. Effects of menopause can include symptoms such ...
, gender-affirming surgery, and
bodybuilding Bodybuilding is the practice of Resistance training, progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's skeletal muscle, muscles via muscle hypertrophy, hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to a ...
respectively. Each plays a key role in Cameron's transformation. He also compares transgender people to
alchemists Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
, who were also involved in processes of transformation and often lived outside the laws of society. Historian
Susan Stryker Susan O'Neal Stryker (born 1961) is an American professor, historian, author, filmmaker, and theorist whose work focuses on gender and human sexuality. She is a professor of Gender and Women's Studies, former director of the Institute for LGBT St ...
argued that ''Body Alchemy'' helped to make transgender men more visible in American culture during the 1990s. Author
Kate Bornstein Katherine Vandam Bornstein (born March 15, 1948) is an American author, playwright, performance artist, actor, and gender theorist. In 1986, Bornstein started identifying as gender non-conforming and has stated "I don't call myself a woman, I ...
also credited Cameron with making transgender men more visible, no longer "relegated to the backseat of the transgender minority."


Notes


References


Bibliography

* *{{cite journal , last1=Costa , first1=Caio Jade Puosso Cardoso Gouveia , title=Retratos masculinos: Sobre Loren Cameron, Yukio Mishima e Johnny vai à guerra , trans-title=Masculine Portraits: About Loren Cameron, Yukio Mishima, and Johnny Goes to War, journal=Periódicus , date=2020 , volume=1 , issue=13 , pages=115-130 , doi=10.9771/peri.v1i13.35694 , language=pt , issn=2358-0844 Books of photographs Transgender non-fiction books Trans men's culture 1996 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Lambda Literary Award–winning works 1990s LGBTQ literature LGBTQ literature in the United States Books about trans men