South Central. I lived and eventually photographed there, befriending a car window washer named Al, who worked an offramp of the 10 freeway, and some veteranos, ex-bangers, who showed their scars.
I followed the post-LA riot hearings on violence, got invited to the churches, and photographed a man holding his kids' shoes while they played in a sandbox. All this was not far from a university campus, an island of sorts in this landscape.
Rico, an ex-gangbanger, got shot and killed by some Los Angeles Police officers hours after I gave him a portrait of himself with his low-rider bicycle. A hard life he was trying to change. Too late.
I went to see his family with more images. They expected me.
