Domestic burlesque


Elsa Quarsell is a Swedish photographer based in London, renowned for her eclectic tableaus featuring simulacra of mods, cowboys, dancers and artists. In her new book, The Domestic Burlesque, she turns her lens to capture the outlandish exuberance of burlesque artists in the sanctuary of their own homes. Elsa prof iles their on-stage personas and splices it with a dichotomy of domesticity: from double agents and superheroes to a woman who painstakingly sewed 5,000 sequins on to a bikini. Eccentricity, quirkiness and the downright bizarre collide with commonplace commodities such as the kitchen freezer and the ironing board – imagine Through the Keyhole with Loyd Grossman wearing crotchless knickers. Retro grabs the keys and unlocks the doors to a selection of our favourite femmes.


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