Adam Amengual’s portraits of current and former gang members bear a striking resemblance to the 17th century Flemish portraiture the artist deeply admires. Each image commands our attention, and Amengual has removed all sense of shame we can only imagine that several of the subjects may grapple with. Instead he offers a way to honor each individual despite their troubled histories, allowing us to wonder about their pasts by gazing at scars, tattoos, and other brands — but without masking their humanity. As Adam puts it: ”A majority, if not everyone in this series has had a mug shot taken of them at one time in their past. I feel I have flipped that old image of them showing them as proud and iconic. It is a visual metaphor for the transformation they are bringing to their own lives.”
Homeboy Industries — a non-profit organization that helps gang members change their lives — assisted in Amengual’s portrait venture, which he calls Homies, and the results are beautiful. Visit more of Amengual’s stately images past the break. Read an interesting interview with the artist over here.
Image credit: Adam Amengual [Spotted via Prison Photography]
Comments (5)
Gnarly! The only thing I have in common with the guy in photo number 6 is that we own the same baseball cap.
Why in the world is Flavorpill covering this story? It’s bad enough that gangs turn neighborhoods and many have become injured, some even losing their lives, when gang members fight. However this exhibit sort of white washes the reality of what gang members do: murder, car jackings, theft, and drug dealing.
@TMF1977: We don’t support gangs or gang violence in any way. Adam’s portraits are of people who are trying to make a better life for themselves without violence, or those who have already left that life behind. Homeboy Industries’ website reiterates that: “Homeboy Industries assists at-risk and formerly gang involved youth to become positive and contributing members of society through job placement, training and education.” Adam states about his images in the interview with Prison Photography: “A majority, if not everyone in this series has had a mug shot taken of them at one time in their past. I feel I have flipped that old image of them showing them as proud and iconic. It is a visual metaphor for the transformation they are bringing to their own lives.” (I’ll add that to the story now.) Hope this helps to clear things up for you, and thanks for your comment.
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I think TMF1977 prefers to to think of these people as monsters incapable of righting their wrongs. As Father Boyle of Homeboy Industries says, “Everybody is a whole lot more than the worst thing they ever did. All of us are… What happened to redemption or second chances when [there's] an opportunity for someone who’s served their time and they’re ready to begin again?”
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