JOHN NOVOTNY (b. 1998) IS AN IMAGE MAKER, DIRECTOR, AND HAIR ARTIST BASED IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK.

A GRADUATE OF THE SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS NYC WITH A BFA IN PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO, JOHN’S WORK INVESTIGATES GLAMOUR OF VARIANCE, DOCUMENTING THE DIVINE FEMME, TRANSFORMATION, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A STAR.

INSPIRED BY THEIR CLOSE BOND WITH THEIR MOTHER AND WORLD-TRAVELING GRANDMOTHER AND A LOVE OF FAIRY TALE FILMS, JOHN FOUND AN AFFINITY FOR FANTASY FROM A YOUNG AGE. BORN AND RAISED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, JOHN WAS INVOLVED IN THE ARTS AND THEATRE FROM THE AGE OF 7, EXPLORING WHAT IT MEANT TO CREATE.

AT 18 JOHN MOVED TO NYC TO PURSUE THEIR PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK WHILE STUDYING PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS AND BEGUN DOCUMENTING THEIR COMMUNITY, HIGHLIGHTING THE EXPERIENCE OF QUEER AND TRANS FEMME INDIVIDUALS. JOHNS WORK IS INSPIRED BY THEIR EXPERIENCES IN NEW YORK, BEING IN AND OUT OF LOVE, AND THEIR CLOSE KNIT RELATIONSHIPS.

THROUGH BOTH SELF PORTRAITS AND IMAGERY OF THOSE AROUND THEM THE WORK EXPLORES JOHN’S INTERESTS IN GLAMOUR AND FANTASY, THINGS SO UGLY YOU CAN NOT LOOK AWAY, DRAG, ARTIFICE, LIP GLOSS, LONGING, BECOMING, TRANSFORMATION, PLASTIC SURGERY, THE MUNDANE, QUEER REALITY, EGO, WITCHES AND FAIRIES, GHOSTS AND DEMONS, HEARTBREAK, LOVE, COMMUNITY, AND THE MAGIC OF FEMINITY.