Larry Clark, at age 16 in 1962, began documenting his life and the lives of his friends, focusing on their experiences with drugs and crime. After serving in Vietnam, he returned to Tulsa and continued his exploration of this secretive, marginalized world through photography. His new book, Return, revisits the raw and intimate snapshots taken over a decade, providing insight into the lives of teenagers who engaged in transgressive activities. This work challenges traditional documentary photography by highlighting the overlooked narratives of youth living outside societal norms.
I photographed my friends over a 10-year period, in this secret world, which nobody else could have come in and done. You see us from the time we were teenagers up until our 20s. And how we changed.
When I started making work, I said: Why can't you show everything? It was supposed to be mom's apple pie and white picket fences.
This was at the billiard parlour around the corner from the Circle movie theatre. There weren't supposed to be drugs back then.
This is a picture of Billy and his baby, Shantelle. She still texts me whenever someone from the old gang dies.
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