I photographed this shy young man against the wall filled with gang graffiti. To be clear, he was not a member of any of the gangs, but the image has always seemed foreboding to me. Young men like him were often drawn into the gangs, often for protection. Ironically, once in the gangs, their lives often followed a violent path that was more dangerous than the bullying they had previously been subjected to. This was a catch 22. He was literally and figuratively up against the wall because of where he lived.
