Nico Young
17 year old artist and Photographer Nico Young has had his work published both inside and on the cover of the New York Times Magazine and has exhibited in Los Angeles’ The Underground Museum. An already impressive body of work for a teenager, Young, no pun intended, strives to showcase that youths are a force to be reckoned with as creators and artists. Unlike other photographers that have gained success off of documenting youth culture as outsiders, Nico Young calls himself a “participant”, photographing his peers during their teenage experiences and activities. The Native Californian is well known for his documentation of skate culture, particularly his series “Stoner”. The series is shot in a skate park called Stoner Park and depicts the area as a social space thriving off of community and where the teenage skaters are free from restraints, both institutional and in the form of adults. Young’s photos capture the sense of innocence combatting a transitional period in teenage hood, but from within. Rather than glamorize youth or skate culture, Young, instead, offers an undigested and arresting portrayal.
Images courtesy of Nico Young
www.nicoyoung.org
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