Whilst studying photography at Tisch School of the Arts in New York City, Beasley worked as a lap dancer to fund her documentary projects. She began photographing her colleagues, producing a hard-hitting photobook about the sex industry. Beasley sought to portray the motivations of both dancers and customers, describing the works as ‘the exchange of love and affection for money’. After eight years as a dancer, Beasley had earned enough to devote herself to photography full-time.

Beasley’s most well-known series, Lapdancer, is a gritty exploration of the strip clubs of America. Beasley made the photographs as a result of her eight-year career as a lap dancer. She has said that the project began with ‘voyeuristic intent’, but the outcome is an honest depiction of an underground way of life. These photographs were published in book format in 2003. In all of her work, her emotional attachment to and personal involvement with the individuals captured is apparent. Her images are straightforward, raw representations of rarely seen lifestyles and communities. (V&A)