Larry Clark
1943–
Larry Clark began using a camera in the mid-1950s while working as an assistant to his mother, an itinerant portraitist, and quickly achieved notoriety as a photographer with the publication of his first book, Tulsa, in 1971. Shot between 1963 and 1971, the powerful images in the book defiantly document sex, drug use, and violence among teenagers in his hometown, providing a dark counterpoint to the idealized youth culture of the same period. Tulsa established Clark as a pioneer in a mode of photography that pushed the boundaries of not only acceptable subject matter but also the relationship between the photographer and his subjects. As Clark noted in the book’s short introductory statement, “when i was sixteen i started shooting amphetamine. i shot with my friends everyday for three years and then left town but i’ve gone back through the years. once the needle goes in it never comes out.”
Untitled, an image from Tulsa, features a young man pointing a gun at a target off camera, with an American flag hanging askew on the wall in the background. The raw and symbolic content of the image is matched by the harsh light from the window. Clark has noted, “When I’m photographing I always try to shoot against the light . . . the film can’t handle this and everything gets burned up, since I’m exposing for the shadows.” His haunting photographs similarly reveal the shadows of adolescence in a culture that both glorifies and brutally commodifies youth. Although Clark has gone on to become an acclaimed filmmaker, his intimate and uninhibited approach to photography, epitomized by Tulsa, has influenced generations of artists, from Nan Goldin to Ryan McGinley.
Introduction
Lawrence Donald Clark (born January 19, 1943) is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for his controversial teen film Kids (1995) and his photography book Tulsa (1971). His work focuses primarily on youth who casually engage in illegal drug use, underage sex, and violence, and who are part of a specific subculture, such as surfing, punk rock, or skateboarding.
Wikidata identifier
Q714496
Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License . Accessed April 29, 2025.
Country of birth
United States
Roles
Artist, cinematographer, painter, photographer
ULAN identifier
500004924
Names
Larry Clark
Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed April 29, 2025.
