Lost Gangsta Crip 1991

Jim Goldberg made this photograph, Lost Gangsta Crip, using black and white film. What was he thinking when he pressed the shutter? I imagine Goldberg saw something both tough and vulnerable in this child, this kid with a tattoo, the bare back and the soft hair. The words ‘Lost Gangsta Crip’ are etched onto the young skin like a brand. It's a strange combination of bravado and sadness. The choice to shoot in black and white flattens everything, making it feel immediate, like newsprint. It lacks any sentimental colour. I wonder if that was deliberate? It's like he's saying, "Here it is, no frills, just the stark reality." This image makes me think about the wider narratives surrounding poverty, identity, and social exclusion. Goldberg is known for his documentary approach, getting up close and personal with his subjects. I see this picture as an attempt to connect, to see humanity in unexpected places. Photography at its best, is always about exchange, not extraction, isn’t it?