an hour waiting for my turn, which
is normally just for homies trying
to see Father Greg. I showed
him the images and interviews,
and he loved it “Thank God”
lol. I initially worked closely with
the art and drug counsellor
at Homeboy Industries called
Fabian. Fabian gave me great
advice and hooked me up with
the initial homeboys; from there,
the interest in the project spread.
I decided to produce a book
because these stories need to be
told, and this was one avenue to
do that alongside the images.
Q4. Which program(s) did you
use to remove the tattoos?
SB: I used Photoshop.
Q5. Skin Deep reflects on
former gang members who
want to start a new life as
individuals within society.
What inspired you to do this
book? And how were you able
to understand these gang
members?
SB: A friend of mine was working
at Homeboy Industries, and she
took me to see the documentary
G- dog which is about, Farther
Greg Boyle and how he founded
Homeboy Industries. After
watching the documentary, I was
so inspired by Father Greg Boyle
and the Homeboys/ girls trying
to change there lives against
the odds that I knew I had to
do something to help spread
awareness. The concept came
to me when I learned that tattoo
removal was such an important
part of leaving the gangs.
How do you understand anything?
By taking the time to listen and
learn. That is what this project is
about, creating a platform for
ex-gang member and gang
members to tell their stories. The
images spark the imagination
and interest but the stories are so
powerful. Once you read what
these people have been through
July 2020
Polo De’Marco