Lisa Lyon born in Los Angeles, California in 1953. Lisa Lyon studied art at the University of California at Los Angeles. There she became accomplished in the Japanese art of fencing, kendo, but found herself lacking sufficient upper body strength so she began weight training. This eventually led her into bodybuilding.

Lyon’s work with Mapplethorpe was specifically impressive due to Mapplethorpe’s ability to portray her body as masculine and feminine in his photos, which shows how her body was truly one of a kind.

A cult classic first published in 1983, Lady: Lisa Lyon is a groundbreaking collaboration between Mapplethorpe and bodybuilder-performance artist.