Larry Clark
Tulsa is regarded as one of the most boring cities in the United States, so it’s surprising/unsurprising that it nurtured the talent of “down and dirty” photographer, Larry Clark.
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Larry alleviated the boredom of suburban teenage life by taking injectable drugs and taking pictures of himself and his degenerate friends taking injectable drugs and playing with guns. A move to New York and stint in the Vietnam War prompted Clark to publish the documentary book Tulsa in 1971, encapsulating his early years. “Living in the moment, not thinking about anything beyond that… I wanted the viewer to feel like you’re there with them. You can be there fucking, smoking dope, having sex…”
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His successive collections were equally as provocative, but it probably wasn’t censorship that put Clark in a maximum security prison for 19 months. Rather than tarnishing his reputation, it just made him cooler. He’s creative and tortured and reckless and mazin’ basicklee.
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He made the film Kids in the 1990′s, about an HIV positive skateboarder setting out to deflower as many virgins as he can. It’s meant to be alright. I’ve never seen it, but I sure will now.
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