I’m thinking today about an Ottawa woman who died last weekend after a 20-year struggle with drugs. My heart goes out to her family, who never gave up hope until last weekend. I wish them peace.
Lens – the New York Times photojournalism blog – showcased Ottawa photographer Tony Fouhse’s crack user series on Wednesday. These photographs were all taken on a street corner in Ottawa’s Byward Market.
The images are haunting. I’ve looked at them many times over the past year or so. In some of them, all I can see is the addiction. But in others, I can see right through the addiction to the human being beneath it.
The blog comments are interesting too – in both positive and negative ways. Definitely worth a read.
My reaction is likely very different than others because I lived at that corner for 5 years, 5 years ago. My reaction was, new, new, new, old familiar face, new, new, old familiar face, and then: where is x and y, and z? I hope their safe.
I am a big fan of Tony’s work…
CJOH news had all about him on their program this evening. A very interesting person as well as a beautiful photographer. I loved his saying, “I am not trying to leave an impression on the world, I want the impression of the world on me.”
Ooh, thanks for the link. I’ve loved his work for quite a while now. There was a woman in my town who died more than a year ago now, a woman who had a history of psychiatric problems and crack use, and the police have only now decided her death was suspicious. That seems a travesty to me.
It’s only just struck me how a few of the commenters over there referred to the pictures by their numbers. I keep thinking of their names.