Trans(formation):
A Collaborative Portrait Series Exploring Gender Identity in our Cape Cod Community
Julia Cumes
Xander, Julia Cumes.
Created through a collaborative process between photographer and subject, each portrait and caption in this collection of 18 images tells the unique story of its subject’s journey. Together we hope to confront viewers with the expressive power and diversity of human gender identity and ask them to reexamine their assumptions.
For her collaborative photo, Rikki chose to be photographed with the drum set that has been such a big part of her life. Inspired by Ringo Starr, she started playing the drums at 11 years old, went to Berklee school of music and has played with the likes of George Carlin, the Incredible Casuals as well as other bands. “As a kid, I was mild mannered and was bullied,” she explains. When I hit puberty, I really noticed something didn’t feel right. I had crushes on girls but also felt like a girl.There was no such thing as being transgender; you were either straight or gay,” she recounts. Throughout high school and college, Rikki kept her secret and got married in 1984. “On the first date with my wife, I thought I needed to be honest. She felt okay about occasional cross-dressing but when it became a more serious lifestyle, she ended up wanting out after six years,” Rikki explains.
In their collaborative photo, Hayden chose to be photographed with testosterone vials, each one representing a year into their transition as well as a portrait of themself from childhood to capture the enormous transition they have been through. At the age of 19, Hayden came out as trans and began their transition almost immediately afterwards, with the support of their mother and brother. “The best thing about transitioning was finding my true authentic self and continuing to find more layers underneath; being unapologetic, visible, and outspoken…adjectives I never thought I would use to label myself,” they explain.
VIEW EXHIBITION HERE
VIEW EXHIBITION HERE
“This project was initially inspired by my nephew, Charley (a nickname), who is trans and who made me realize how little visual representation there was of the trans community on Cape Cod, where I live. One of the people I photographed and interviewed early on in the project told me that statistically, there are more people who think they’ve seen a ghost than people who think they’ve seen a trans person. I was so struck by this comment and hope the project leads to greater understanding and appreciation of this vital community and their individual stories and contributions.”
- Julia Cumes