The Exchange is a body of work exploring the transition from man to drag queen. The series is set mostly backstage at the famous Exchange Hotel in Prahran/Melbourne. It focuses on their regular Saturday night performers Ms Candee portraits and elements. I utilised a documentary and Barbara Quicksand, along with their other guests through style to illustrate the transition while keeping it simple and intimate. I later experimented with different mediums and techniques to give the images multiple layers similar to the subjects.

While creating this series I was privy to the change of personality in each individual. I was challenged to adjust to the role of not just photographer but also an observer. I was witnessing things that are private and personal and had to gain the confidence of my subjects.

I also had to respond to the massive personality changes that occurred during the transition. In short I would start off back stage with meek and mild men. Throughout the evening they would become loud, hilarious, bitchy, and at times overtly sexual beings. On top of that they were professional performers.

Four prints from this series were included in the ACMP collection 5. More importantly to me, both Ms Candee and Barbara Quicksand applauded the work and enjoyed the journey we had together.

Keith Carey

Keith Carey is a Brisbane artist who was born in Melbourne in 1971. Carey received a commercial photography degree at RMIT and completed a further honours degree in photography. Carey has won numerous awards at the Fuji ACMP(Australian Commercial magazine photographers collection) and AIPP (Australian Institute of professional photographers collection) and at the CCP Nikon summer Salon. Recently Daryl Hewson bought a print from the series in the red cows mouth to add to his private collection that harbours elite Australian photographers such as Max Dupain, Olive Cotton, David Moore, Bill Henson, Patricia Pucinni, Siegfried Manietta, Matthew Sleethe and so on. Carey has had numerous solo and group exhibitions around Australia and now days is solely focussed on photography as an art form and no longer its commercial side.