Saeed’s graduate work uses the aesthetics of straight photography to capture images of places and people that are off-limits or inaccessible. The Gentlemen’s Clubs of Louisville often hide in plain sight. Saeed’s photography of these clubs is an ongoing project in which he hopes to bring back images and stories of a forbidden space and its inhabitants. Through photographs made with a large-format view camera and hours of recorded interviews, Saeed’s current iteration of the project centers on the women who work in these clubs and presents their daily work-lives of emotional labor.

Gentlemen’s Clubs: Photography by Zed Saeed will take place as part of the Louisville Photo Biennial. Gallery Hours are Monday-Friday 11am-4:30pm. 

Image:  Zed Saeed, Red Door Lounge, 2018