Camp and Vanitas: Susan Kravitz’s Photo-Documentation of the ‘Invasion’ of Fire Island

For almost 40 years, Susan Kravitz has photographed “the Invasion,” in which participants in drag board a ferry at Cherry Grove and invade the more conservative Pines, to commemorate a drag queen refused service at a “family restaurant” in 1976. Surprisingly, the Invasion and other annual community events such as High Tea, theatrical productions, and the Annual Homeowners' Ball persisted throughout the 80’s and 90’s when HIV/AIDS threatened the tightknit community. As David M. Halperin points out, in choosing to cross-dress in various roles, these participants worked to level social distinctions, to laugh at their suffering, and to invite the community at large to join. Kravitz was able to chart the influence of AIDS on the gay community as they participated in these acts of cultural activism. Through the veil of camp and ball culture, her photographs quietly capture the impact of the disease, from more outward signs such as the depiction of gaunt bodies and an influx of lesbian renters to the community to more hidden symbols invoking vanitas painting such as timepieces, skulls, fruit, and masks. Kravitz’s photographs offer an alternative narrative as a closeted lesbian coming “out” against the archetypal artistic visions of this time period. Ultimately, her work reflects the perseverance of the gay community and their use of camp to celebrate life in spite of the looming threat of AIDS.