The skaters of Tompkins Square Park, portaits by Cameron McNee
Intimate friendships, shirtless youths, tattoos and battered sneakers...
[C]ameron McNee is a photographer working out of New York. He lives close to Tompkins Square park, a flatland space that a nebulous community of skaters use for practising tricks, smoking dope and passing time. Shot over the summer, this series of portraits captures the scene – intimate friendships, shirtless youths, tattoos and battered sneakers.
Naturally inspired by photographers like Larry Clark and Nan Goldin, Cameron’s series is an uncensored take on skate culture in its 2017 incarnation. See the series and read about Cameron’s influences below. See more of his work on his website here.
What qualities do you see in someone that makes you think “I want to take pictures of them”?
I moved to New York this past summer and I found every person I saw and every street I walked inspiring – as it was so different to what I was used to.
I’m inspired to take pictures of people and communities that are not my own, that I don’t fit in to – those that might scare me, or those I want to be part of. When I spot someone that looks that little bit different or is visibly passionate about something, I take a deep breath, go and speak to them and it always surprises me how open everyone is to talk. Having a camera gives you the perfect excuse to speak to someone that you wouldn’t normally.
Do you think people have misconceptions about skate culture? What did your subjects have in common in this series?
I think the way people think about skate culture has moved on in the last 20 years, and I think it’s archaic to think that of skaters as these bad boys.
I shot this series of images over the summer in Tompkins Square Park, New York. There’s an area there with smooth concrete that’s great for skating – it’s not a skate park but kids from all over the city come there to skate, hang out and smoke weed. Only half of them skate, but it’s a place for them to congregate and make their own.
The thing they all had in common is that they were young and needed to get out of the house. They want to explore who they are away from the constrains of their family and school.
Do you skate?
Not any more… I did in my teens, but after a whole bunch of injuries, on trampolines, skateboards and skis, I tend to leave it to the kids I shoot.
Who are your favourite subculture photographers?
When I first got into photography it was pre-internet and the first photographers that I loved were from books.
I remember finding Larry Clark’s Tulsa and Nan Goldin’s The Ballad of Sexual Dependency – they transported me to a world that felt extreme and yet echoed my own life in some ways. I felt like an outsider growing up in Australia, so finding these worlds that sat outside the norm was some how comforting.
Now with the internet and Instagram I’m finding new photographers that I love all the time. I’m currently loving the work of @tomsl0an, @bomteard, @nosecretsbetweensailors, @lucyridgardphotography.
Are you familiar with Larry Clark? Do you think he’s had a fair representation as an arbiter of skate and photo culture?
Yes I know and love the work of Larry Clark. I think he has been one of the most important arbiters of alternative youth culture for almost 50 years. Tulsa his first book, shot in the late 60’s of his friends doing drugs, sits in my book shelf. I often look at it and think these images are so powerful and so relevant 45 years later. His connection with skating for the film KIDS was the perfect environment for him to continue his exploration of youth, drugs & lust.
What camera do you use?
I shoot with a few different cameras, both digital and film. This series was shot on a Canon 5D, a Pentax 67 and a 35mm Contax.