The surreal facades of America's strip clubs

Some people travel the world in search of adventure, while others seek out natural wonders, cultural landmarks or culinary experiences. But French photographer François Prost was looking for something altogether different during his recent road trip across America: strip clubs.

Fantasy at the Beach, an establishment in Fort Myers, Florida. Scroll through to see more images from François Prost's series "Gentlemen's Club"

Francois Prost

[VIP cabaret in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California.]

VIP cabaret in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California.

Francois Prost

[The Xcape Mens Club in El Paso, Texas.]

The Xcape Mens Club in El Paso, Texas.

Francois Prost

[Prost's series also features other adult establishments, including this adult book store in Laughlin, Arizona.]

Prost's series also features other adult establishments, including this adult book store in Laughlin, Arizona.

Francois Prost

[The sun-drenched facade of Montana Hideaway in El Paso, Texas.]

The sun-drenched facade of Montana Hideaway in El Paso, Texas.

Francois Prost

[Little Darling, one of over a dozen Las Vegas establishments featured in Prost's book.]

Little Darling, one of over a dozen Las Vegas establishments featured in Prost's book.

Francois Prost

[Many of the facades feature signs and slogans, such as "Where the Party Never Ends" at Foxy in El Paso, Texas.]

Many of the facades feature signs and slogans, such as "Where the Party Never Ends" at Foxy in El Paso, Texas.

Francois Prost

[Dreams Club in Los Angeles, California.]

Dreams Club in Los Angeles, California.

Francois Prost

[Emperors in Tampa, Florida, as seen from the parking lot.]

Emperors in Tampa, Florida, as seen from the parking lot.

Francois Prost

Photographer François Prost's images of American strip club facades

CNN
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Some people travel the world in search of adventure, while others seek out natural wonders, cultural landmarks or culinary experiences. But French photographer François Prostwas looking for something altogether different during his recent road trip across America: strip clubs.

From Miami to Los Angeles, Prost’s latest book “Gentlemen’s Club” charts his route across the US via nearly 150 strip clubs with names like Pleasures, Temptations and Cookies N’ Cream. There isn’t a single nude woman to be seen, however, as Prost’s camera was exclusively trained on the buildings themselves — and specifically their often-colorful facades.

Over the course of five weeks in 2019 he traversed over 6,000 miles, with the resulting photos capturing everything from the pastel hues of Florida’s Club Pink Pussycat to venues hiding in plain sight in the country’s more religious states.

[The Xcape Mens Club in El Paso, Texas.]

The Xcape Mens Club in El Paso, Texas.

Francois Prost

The first type, he added, could be found in “very American” settings, such as “around amusement parks and fast food and malls.” The latter venues, however, would sometimes look indistinguishable from any store in a strip mall. Prost said he found many such establishments along the Bible Belt, a socially conservative region in the country’s south. He was especially keen to explore the area due to the apparent contrast between the prevalence of strip clubs and what he describes in his book as “conservatism and extreme puritanism.”

Prost insisted that he had little interest in the interiors or services of the strip clubs, which he always visited during the day. Instead, he hoped to learn more about American culture by creating objective, documentary-style photographs of establishments sitting at the intersection of sex, gender and commerce. Documenting changing attitudes toward sex through the lens of architecture, he added that the series was primarily of a landscape photography project.

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“The prism of this theme of strip club facades became a way of studying and trying to understand the country,” he wrote in “Gentlemen’s Club,” photographs from which will feature in an exhibition in Tokyo in March.

”(‘Gentlemen’s Club’ is) an objective panorama of dominant opinions and gender and the sexualization of the feminine image.”

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‘A bit strange’

The genesis of Prost’s project dates back to his 2018 series, “After Party,” which focused on the flamboyant facades of French nightclubs. He said that people frequently commented that the buildings’ exteriors looked as though they had been ripped straight out of American cities, sparking the idea that he should visit the US and extend the project.

As he meticulously planned his trip, he was struck not only by the sheer volume of strip clubs in America but that — unlike In Europe — they often demanded to be seen. Hot pink walls, gigantic nude silhouettes and even candy-cane-striped storefronts made no secret of the kind of entertainment provided inside.

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“A good example would be Las Vegas, where strip clubs are everywhere and their signs blink as much as a fast food (restaurant) or casino sign,” Prost said.

Miami’s clubs were often painted in vivid, Wes Anderson-esque hues. Other photos show brightly covered venues contrasting with their sparse desert surroundings.

[Little Darling, one of over a dozen Las Vegas establishments featured in Prost's book.]

Little Darling, one of over a dozen Las Vegas establishments featured in Prost's book.

Francois Prost

If the establishments were open during the day, Prost would enter and ask for permission to take photos in order “to not look suspicious… and explain what my intentions were,” he said. The interiors rarely lived up to the tantalizing promises plastered across the signs outside, but the photographer met a host of characters during his five-week trip, from indifferent bouncers to managers who were thrilled about the project.

“Most of the time, people were OK — 99% of them would say yes to a facade picture,” he said, adding they typically wouldn’t mind his presence, as long as he didn’t take photos of patrons or dancers.

“Some would think that it was a bit strange, some would be really excited about it and give me their business card to send me the picture when it was done,” he said.

Prost said his biggest surprise, however, was how “normalized” strip clubs appeared to be in everyday life. As he reflects in his book, “The relationship that Americans seem to have with strip clubs is quite different to what you see in Europe. Going to a strip club seems to be a lot more normalized … You go as a couple, or amongst friends at night to have fun.”

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He was struck, for instance, by the fact that so many Las Vegas strip clubs doubled as restaurants — with many boasting happy hour deals, buffets and special discounts for truck drivers or construction workers.

“I noticed a few strip clubs that would advertise being a strip club and steakhouse, so you could eat a big piece of meat (while) watching strippers. That is also something that seems very American to me,” he said, adding: “I heard from some people I met in Portland there are even strip clubs (that offer) vegan food.”

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Objects of desire

The facades are littered with jokes like “My sex life is like the Sahara, 2 palms, no dates” and pun-based names like Booby Trap and Bottoms Up. Prost’s documentarian approach heightens the signs’ surreal comedy. But it also doubles as a neutral lens through which viewers can make up their own minds about the objectification of women.

[Dreams Club in Los Angeles, California.]

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