The Grounds

Over a 12 year period, I documented male street hustlers in Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal, Canada.

Project Description
The Grounds

“The face, in its nudity and defenselessness, signifies: “Do not kill me.”
Bergo Bettina on Emmanuel Levinas’ concept of “The Face”


The Grounds are the places that hold the bodies and faces of primal vulnerability, desperation and violence.

I photographed street hustlers and other street-involved men for 12 years because I identified with those living at the grittiest levels of urban existence.

Connecting with other men in the middle of the night with my camera, allowed for an intimate encounter beyond the sexual, beyond drugs and beyond desire.

As purveyors of stolen goods, illicit substances and quick sexual encounters, these individuals are constantly on the hunt for an unsuspecting sucker or “john”. Approaching them with my disposable camera and a $20 bill, I surprised and disarmed them - this made it possible to obtain several shots, which I then edited down to the one presented in this work.

Encounters alternated between enticement and fear - the visceral nature of these experiences are reflected in the lower grade film, combined with push processing and the glossy saturated print.

The Grounds includes “Money” a 27-second long video that accompanies the installation of photographs. Two nude photographs make up a special edition that is meant to be presented In a separate viewing area within the exhibition.