Portraits Of Boston: 'I'm A Human Statue'

“I’m a human statue. I’m the ‘silver girl.’”

“When did you realize this was something you wanted to do?”

“I’ve never been anything but a performer ever since I was a kid. I also do burlesque, and I’d like to do more dance. And I want to be a stand-up comic.”

“Sometimes human statues remind me of soldiers or guards just because you don’t move at all.”

“People often say that. Living statues are also very susceptible to heckling.”

“Have you ever lost your cool?

“I’m actually a crusader for personal space. Anytime somebody grabs me, I stop them and say, ‘Do you know that what you’re doing is illegal?’ Faneuil Hall is the most harassment-prone and aggressive place that I work. I think it’s because there are so many different kinds of people there all the time. When it’s mostly locals, they have more respect for what you’re doing.”

Portraits of Boston is a project of independent photographer Ivan Velinov. He is regularly sharing some of his favorite portraits with WBUR. Visit his website to see the hundreds of portraits he has taken on the streets of Boston.