New York-based photographer Marley Kate has always had an eye for the outrageous. "I fell in love with Nan Goldin's work after seeing her show, 'I'll Be Your Mirror,' at the Whitney," says Kate. "I was 12 years-old."
While the impact of Goldin's controversial look -- sometimes described as grunge, or a predecessor to the "heroin chic" of the '90s -- may be detectable in her work, Kate seems to take a decidedly more joyful, irreverent approach to her subject matter.
"I love being on set, and really feeling like I love what I'm shooting," says Kate. "When it all comes together -- the subject, the location, the environment, the light ... That's the most rewarding part."
The pleasure that Kate finds in her work comes across in her portfolio, which is ruled by super-saturated colors, girls clad in skimpy, sequined ensembles, and over-bright exposures.
"Of course, my New York city inspires me," says Kate. "Growing up in New York has definitely made a huge impact on the way that I shoot, and what I shoot -- young, free and wild."
Which is precisely the quality that has made her work so popular in the pages of VICE, Tokion and Nylon: unapologetic, exuberant youth, either wearing everything in their closet or nothing at all, ready to strut their stuff.
