WEST COAST GANGSTERS

GANGS! Well we all LOVE the LOOK! The city of angels. Thats L.A fool! Represent! Living in L.A as I did from 1998-2000, I was always fascinated by the look and its culture on the whole. At that time I was going to art school at Otis College of Art & Design. I never really ventured too far into the nether regions of L.A, until one day I went to a house party for a friend of mine in Echo Park. There I saw a whole new world, very different to the blondes, tans, six-packs and palm trees. The teenagers there were the LOOK! That look was very paired-down, very REGIME! I loved it...it was a fashion moment for me as well as a beauty one. The styling was Genius. The attitude was intense. The boys and girls there were a walking, talking campaign. The location couldn't be better. To best feel this to some extent, I highly recommend watching "Mi Vida Loca" a film based in that area, that came out in the mid-90's. Well to make a long story short, from then till now, I've been fascinated with all ethnic barrios and the drama they cultivate. So much so, that my first feature photo story was GANG. I definitely took a more classic, romanticized approach, but that is not the case of ESTEVAN ORIOL. This intense and major player WEST COAST style, is primarily a documentary photographer. His work is by far is the most comprehensive study of the L.A gangster lifestyle. His subjects range from the older gangsters, to the hot chicas, low-riders, pitbulls, to the new kid that is tattooed out. He was the first to put the work of another GENIUS out to the world, and that guy is MR. CARTOON. Master of the prison grayscale tattoos, together they have definitely promoted one another in their crafts. Aside from shooting raw gangster life shots, Oriol has also shots celebrities,fashion editorials and has also directed music videos. Mr. Cartoon has done ink on rappers, rockers, models, actors, athletes, and of course gangsters. GENIUS BRAS! The Best at their GAME!!! Visit their sites: www.estevanoriol.com and www.mistercartoon.com SA