Martin Schoeller donne un visage aux SDF de Los Angeles

Hollywood, ses stars, ses paillettes… et les délaissés de l’Amérique. Los Angeles a toujours plus évoqué pour moi le paradoxe d’une société puissante mais inégalitaire que le glamour d’une industrie culturelle hégémonique. Si on trouve des pauvres et des marginaux partout dans le monde, cette ville rassemble les plus puissants et les plus démunis comme aucune autre. Et s’il arrive de dégringoler de l’échelle sociale, rares sont les moments où l’on tend la main à ceux qui hantent ses rues.

Martin Schoeller, lui, a vu passer Angelina Jolie, Jay Z, Jeff Koons, Paris Hilton, Zinedine Zidane et même Barack Obama devant son objectif. Autant dire qu’il a l’habitude de fréquenter du beau monde. Mais depuis plusieurs semaines, les sujets de ses « close-up » sont tout autres. Leurs visages ne vous diront rien, leurs noms encore moins. Et pour cause : ce sont les marginaux de Los Angeles, les sans domicile fixe et toxicomanes qui viennent prendre un repas chaud servi par l’association Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition (GWHFC), à laquelle contribuent des amis du photographe allemand.

Martin: “So you’re living on the street?” Emily: “I live in my truck, yes. It’s a big suburban.” M: “How long have you been living in the truck?” E: “I got the truck about a year and a half ago. So before that I was a hitchhiker and I went all over the country. I’ve been to Pennsylvania, so beautiful.” M: “All by yourself?” E: “Well no, it was with my boyfriend. I never travel alone because I’m a girl and I think that can be very dicey.” M: “And looking for a job? Is that tough out here?” E: “I found a job. I work at Panera Bread. And they just recently found out that I live in my truck, but I always keep myself very clean. I shower regularly. They don’t mind ‘cause they know I’m trying to step up and get an apartment. I’m not gonna stay in my truck forever.” . Please donate today to support the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition and help people like Emily get back on their feet: http://bit.ly/Syc_Rom and @gwhfc. Link and details in bio. #martinschoeller #portraits #sycamoreandromaine #street #photography #streetphotography #feedthehungry #fighthunger #GWHFC #volunteer #give #giveback #nonprofit #losangeles #westhollywood #hollywood #communityservice #community #activism #homeless #makeadifference #filmphotography #filmisnotdead #analog

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 24 Déc. 2015 à 3h36 PST

Chaque portrait, posté sur son compte Instagram, est accompagné de la retranscription de l’échange que Schoeller a eu avec la personne photographiée. A qui il offre en contrepartie son portrait en Polaroïd et 20$. Il estime que ces gens méritent aussi qu’on raconte leur histoire et il cherche ainsi à leur donner une identité. Les histoires de drogues, de maltraitance et de pauvreté sont le lot commun. Mais ce qui revient le plus : « avoir grandi sans recevoir suffisamment d’amour », rapporte le Los Angeles Magazine qui a publié quelques-uns de ses portraits, « c’est vraiment ce que j’en retiens ».

Avec ce travail, Schoeller entend profiter de sa notoriété pour interpeller le public et donner une visibilité à GWHFC pour collecter 200 000$ afin de continuer leur oeuvre de bienfaisance auprès des plus démunis de la cité des anges. Les portraits de sa série « Meet Los Angeles’ Homeless People » dressent une galerie émouvante et humaine. Si l’ancien assistant d’Annie Leibovitz les poste sur Instagram, c’est pour de toucher plus de gens. « C’est un bon moyen d’utiliser Instagram », dit-il au Time. « Pour donner une voix à des gens qui n’en ont pas sur Instagram. »

Donnell (Bull): “When they first trained me in Vietnam, for jungle warfare I got shot first thing off the bat, by my own. So I spent three months in the hospital, this guy came in, I woke up, he’s standing over top of me, telling me he was sorry for shootin’ me and I beat him up. And I been outta the Army and homeless since. Yeah, they threw me out without nothin’. They gave me all this trainin’ and then told me to go.” . Please support the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition to help people like Bull get back on their feet. Donate or volunteer today @gwhfc. Link and details in bio.

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 5 Déc. 2015 à 17h23 PST

« Les gens qui vivent dans la rue proviennent de toutes les communautés des Etats-Unis. Notre gouvernement est soit dépassé soit insuffisamment engagé dans cette crise, donc notre système échoue à porter assistance à ceux qui en ont le plus besoin » analyse Shoeller auprès du National Geographic. « A tous les niveaux – personnel, gouvernemental, philosophique – nous ne sommes honteusement pas à la hauteur, et j’aimerais prendre part à un changement radical sur ces perspectives. »

Faites défiler les portraits et les histoires enregistrés par Martin Schoeller :

Martin: “How long have you been living on the streets?” Keya: “Off and on since my mom died in 2012.” M: “She must have been young, your mom?” K: “Forty-two. She had a heart attack.” M: “Just out of the blue?” K: “Yeah.” M: “I’m sorry to hear that. You don’t have a job?” K: “No, when she passed away I lost my job and that’s how I lost my apartment and that’s how I ended up out here.” M: “You lost your job because you couldn’t get it together?” K: “They put me in a… I was like real, real depressed so they put me in a mental hospital. And once I got out I had nothing left. I was out here.” M: “And your dad?” K: “Nah he wasn’t around at all actually. I saw him probably four times in my whole life and that was it.” . Please support the @gwhfc to help people like Keya get back on their feet. Info in bio.

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 29 Janv. 2016 à 14h33 PST

Martin: "BuNae, where are you from?” BuNae: "I’m from Hollywood, California. I was born here in Los Angeles." M: "Do you come to the food line a lot?" B: "Yeah, I do." M: "Do you have a place you call home these days?" B: "Yeah. I’m kind of struggling to make it. I lost my best friend. I was taking care of him and he was really sick. He died, he committed suicide about eight weeks ago. He died. And well he was very sick. He had Parkinson’s disease for about thirty-five years. He had paranoid schizophrenia, you know, mentally he was hearing voices…He killed himself. Took a bunch of codeine threes, a bunch of ‘em. But I took care of him and I stuck with him for twenty-seven years. He paid all the bills and everything. He was on SSI.” . Please support the @gwhfc to help people like BuNae get back on their feet. Info in bio. #sycamoreandromaine #martinschoeller #gwhfc #portraits #street #photography #streetphotography #feedthehungry #fighthunger #volunteer #give #giveback #nonprofit #losangeles #westhollywood #hollywood #communityservice #community #activism #homeless #makeadifference #filmphotography #filmisnotdead

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 23 Janv. 2016 à 8h01 PST

Martin: “Are you living on the streets?” Carmell: “Yes I am. About fifteen years here in California.” M: “And before in Tennessee as well?” C: “Yea I’ve been homeless about thirty-five years now.” M: “How do you get by on the streets?” C: “With the soup lines. I know some soup lines and soup kitchens and churches that help me out like that with food and clothes. And I survive like that. And products and showers and…?” M: “Staying out of trouble?” C: “Yeah, staying out of trouble, staying out of trouble.” M: “You don’t do any drugs, you don’t drink?” C: “I drink beer. I smoke a joint sometimes.” M: "What's your favorite thing about the [GWHFC] food line?” C: “Pastries and cakes. Chocolate milk. Soup. And rice. Bread.”

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 29 Nov. 2015 à 12h08 PST

Monet: “I’m actually a cosmetologist and I prostitute when I can or escort or whatever ‘cause I know the evening and I know how to do night clubs. Even if it doesn’t have to do with sex, I know how to be a partner and just have a good time and I can handle my drinks and whatever else. You know what I mean? And every gentleman needs a lady.” . Please support the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition to help people like Monet get back on their feet. Donate or volunteer today @gwhfc. Link and details in bio.

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 4 Nov. 2015 à 6h16 PST

Martin: “Are you originally from LA?” Blayke: “I’m from Compton.” M: “There’s a new movie ‘Straight Outta Compton’ it’s supposed to be… Have you seen it?” B: “It was amazing. It was an amazing and heartfelt documentary in my mind because they paved the way for young brothers out the ‘hood, they not only have to sell a sack or play some ball to get out, they could get a microphone or on top that they could even go get a job.” . Please donate today to support the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition and help people like Blayke get back on their feet: http://bit.ly/Syc_Rom and @gwhfc. Link and details in bio. #martinschoeller #portraits #sycamoreandromaine #street #photography #streetphotography #feedthehungry #fighthunger #GWHFC #volunteer #give #giveback #nonprofit #losangeles #westhollywood #hollywood #communityservice #community #activism #homeless #makeadifference #filmphotography #filmisnotdead #analog

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 28 Déc. 2015 à 0h03 PST

Martin: "How long have you been living on the street?” Winter: “Since I was fourteen.” Martin: “What keeps you from getting an apartment? Isn’t there a way to get an apartment?” Winter: “Myself keeps me away.” Martin: “Why?” Winter: “I’m afraid.” Martin: “How old are you?” Winter: “I’m twenty-one." . Please support the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition to help people like Winter get back on their feet. Donate or volunteer today. Link and details in bio. @gwhfc

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 22 Oct. 2015 à 15h52 PDT

Martin: "How are you doing tonight?" Mark: "I’m doing good." Martin: "Are you here to get some food?” Mark: “Yes.” Martin: "How do you like the food at the [#GWHFC] food line?" Mark: "It’s good." Martin: "How long have you been coming here?" Mark: "Off and on about a year." Martin: "You’re living on the streets these days?" Mark: “Yes." Martin: "How long have you been on the streets?” Mark: "About a year.” . Please support the @gwhfc to help people like Mark get back on their feet. Info in bio. #sycamoreandromaine #martinschoeller #gwhfc #portraits #street #photography #streetphotography #feedthehungry #fighthunger #volunteer #give #giveback #nonprofit #losangeles #westhollywood #hollywood #communityservice #community #activism #homeless #makeadifference #filmphotography #filmisnotdead

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 6 Févr. 2016 à 6h33 PST

Photographing Kemi. Thank you for the outpouring of empathy and support. It has only been six weeks and already 157 people have contacted the Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition and signed up to volunteer! The countless encouraging and heartfelt messages mean a lot to me and even more to the people in the pictures. Most of them do not have Instagram so I read a few of the comments to them in person, a very moving experience. It has been an amazing and intense journey to photograph and interview so many people without permanent housing. Listening to their stories has broadened my horizon and my perspective. I came to realize that in ever so slightly different circumstances I could be homeless too. It is not always a choice, sometimes it is the result of addiction and/ or bad decisions, but often it just happens to people without a family to call on for support when when life becomes a real struggle. Talking to young homeless people, like Kemi above, touched me deeply. Most of my subjects were never loved as children, had no guidance and nobody to tuck them in at night. It is difficult to judge a persons bad choices without having grown up in their shoes. Many of my subjects had traumatic childhood experiences, drug addicted parents, beatings, rape, abandonment,… The common thread is a lack of love and guidance. They live with the sense that nobody in the world cares about them. I partnered with GWHFC, because Ted and Penny Landreth are true heroes. They cofounded the Coalition 28 years ago and have been serving a hot meal every night. The Coalition is completely volunteer based so every dollar goes towards their services. The GWHFC has been chased from one street corner to another, neighbors don’t appreciate a gathering of 200 hungry people in front of their building every night. Sycamore and Romaine is one of the last desolate areas in Hollywood, but their days are numbered as the block is being developed with condos. The Coalition is in imminent danger of becoming homeless itself. We are trying to raise $200,000, the downpayment on a lot that would serve as a permanent home for the GWHFC. Please donate, link in bio Martin http://bit.ly/Syc_Rom

Une photo publiée par Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) le 8 Déc. 2015 à 18h22 PST

Vous pouvez vous aussi donner un coup de main en achetant un portrait de Martin Schoeller, dont les bénéfices sont reversés à la Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition ou faire directement un don à l’association.