0:00:17.776,0:00:23.259 [strumming music] 0:00:35.859,0:00:37.890 - I like to make work[br]out in the world. 0:00:37.890,0:00:41.744 I find it endlessly[br]fascinating. 0:00:41.744,0:00:43.730 ♪ ♪ 0:00:48.950,0:00:52.379 And I find that[br]I could never invent 0:00:52.379,0:00:56.183 the incredible things[br]that happen. 0:00:56.183,0:00:57.664 ♪ ♪ 0:00:57.664,0:01:00.890 And I love going places[br]or having experiences 0:01:00.890,0:01:04.563 that are not completely[br]within my control. 0:01:04.563,0:01:14.775 ♪ ♪ 0:01:14.775,0:01:15.390 Melissa? 0:01:15.390,0:01:16.227 - Yeah. 0:01:16.492,0:01:17.501 - I'm right here. 0:01:18.000,0:01:18.500 - Feeling good? 0:01:18.983,0:01:19.864 - Yeah, how are you? 0:01:19.864,0:01:20.509 - Great.[br]- Good. 0:01:20.509,0:01:21.244 - Great. 0:01:22.543,0:01:23.639 - Will you move the, um... 0:01:24.249,0:01:26.289 Yeah, move that around[br]a little bit. 0:01:26.289,0:01:28.186 - Did you know this is Revlon? 0:01:28.186,0:01:31.229 And this is what they[br]actually wore in the '50s. 0:01:31.229,0:01:32.289 It's called, um... 0:01:32.289,0:01:33.289 - Hold on. 0:01:33.289,0:01:34.289 Let me see. 0:01:34.289,0:01:35.289 [grunts] 0:01:35.289,0:01:36.289 Just a moment. 0:01:36.289,0:01:38.590 I will figure this[br]freaking thing out. 0:01:39.817,0:01:41.217 Sorry, you were saying? 0:01:42.155,0:01:45.260 - This is what the movie stars[br]in the '50s actually did wear. 0:01:45.260,0:01:47.825 It's called[br]Cherries in the Snow by Revlon. 0:01:48.354,0:01:49.137 And I wear this. 0:01:49.137,0:01:50.173 I love it. 0:01:51.231,0:01:52.173 They still make it. 0:01:52.173,0:01:54.283 - [laughs] Let me see. 0:01:55.630,0:01:59.079 I met Melissa when I was[br]working in Hollywood, 0:01:59.079,0:02:00.979 making photographs. 0:02:00.979,0:02:04.049 She was or--and is[br]a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. 0:02:05.492,0:02:06.380 Where are you? 0:02:06.380,0:02:07.380 Um... 0:02:10.074,0:02:12.243 Okay, I'm gonna[br]go under this way. 0:02:12.460,0:02:15.409 We've known each other now[br]for ten years. 0:02:15.409,0:02:17.439 What era Marilyn are we doing? 0:02:17.439,0:02:20.889 - We are doing, um,[br]"Let's Make Love." 0:02:21.298,0:02:24.218 - It's just been this improvisational 0:02:24.218,0:02:26.267 whatever she wants to film. 0:02:26.267,0:02:29.705 And we've become extremely close. 0:02:29.705,0:02:32.670 You know, based around[br]making something together. 0:02:32.670,0:02:34.220 - Ooh, hold that mirror there. 0:02:34.220,0:02:35.220 It looks good. 0:02:35.220,0:02:37.300 I'm trying to get your... 0:02:37.300,0:02:39.410 your eyes in here. 0:02:39.410,0:02:41.060 Okay, so... 0:02:41.060,0:02:42.710 [rousing music] 0:02:42.710,0:02:45.840 So often the picture can be[br]a gesture, 0:02:45.840,0:02:47.110 in a way, of love. 0:02:47.110,0:02:51.010 - Okay, okay,[br]go a little to your left. 0:02:51.010,0:02:54.645 But it's also[br]about being seen. 0:02:59.287,0:03:02.500 ♪ ♪ 0:03:08.706,0:03:11.826 I'm from Arlington,[br]Massachusetts, 0:03:11.826,0:03:14.956 about 15 minutes[br]outside of Boston. 0:03:16.230,0:03:18.216 I think I was maybe eight years old 0:03:18.216,0:03:21.149 and my grandmother[br]gave me a camera. 0:03:23.241,0:03:24.599 I immediately 0:03:24.599,0:03:28.413 fell in love[br]with observing the world. 0:03:28.629,0:03:33.030 [melancholy[br]electric guitar music] 0:03:33.789,0:03:35.824 So, when I moved West, 0:03:35.824,0:03:37.360 the first thing that struck me 0:03:37.360,0:03:39.225 was just the quality[br]of the light. 0:03:39.225,0:03:42.000 ♪ ♪ 0:03:42.000,0:03:43.799 And so I--so I wandered. 0:03:43.799,0:03:48.651 I just wanted to walk around with[br]a camera and kind of explore. 0:03:48.651,0:03:56.602 ♪ ♪ 0:03:56.602,0:04:00.140 I never wanted to just[br]photograph people 0:04:00.140,0:04:01.610 that were unaware. 0:04:01.610,0:04:03.863 It has always[br]very much been about 0:04:03.863,0:04:06.236 my wanting[br]to photograph people 0:04:06.236,0:04:08.672 who are interested[br]in being photographed. 0:04:08.672,0:04:13.978 ♪ ♪ 0:04:13.978,0:04:18.549 The light was bright[br]and illuminating everything, 0:04:18.549,0:04:22.049 including the incredible suffering here. 0:04:24.382,0:04:25.796 ♪ ♪ 0:04:25.796,0:04:27.930 You know, formally,[br]I was interested in 0:04:27.930,0:04:29.410 a degree of abstraction, 0:04:29.410,0:04:33.210 of really stripping away[br]all the extra stuff, 0:04:33.210,0:04:37.412 and only leaving what was[br]absolutely essential. 0:04:38.567,0:04:42.550 ♪ ♪ 0:04:42.550,0:04:45.780 And for me, they've become[br]like a family album, 0:04:45.780,0:04:47.705 remembering[br]each one of these people, 0:04:47.705,0:04:49.510 and what we talked about. 0:04:51.362,0:04:55.750 I always imagine them[br]as dissident soldiers, 0:04:55.750,0:04:58.620 you know,[br]where they demanded attention, 0:04:58.620,0:05:03.975 where you could not[br]avoid regarding them. 0:05:03.975,0:05:08.752 ♪ ♪ 0:05:08.752,0:05:18.645 [train horn blaring] 0:05:21.208,0:05:26.852 [blade swishes] 0:05:27.382,0:05:29.470 I think often that there[br]might be a perception 0:05:29.470,0:05:33.320 that the artist is the author, 0:05:33.320,0:05:36.410 when in fact it is so much[br]more collaborative, 0:05:36.410,0:05:39.516 when in fact people[br]have very strong ideas. 0:05:39.516,0:05:44.584 [ambient music] 0:05:44.584,0:05:46.979 And in particular when I[br]when I met Nicole 0:05:46.979,0:05:48.810 and started[br]photographing Nicole, 0:05:48.810,0:05:53.022 she was the most fun,[br]the most challenging. 0:05:54.609,0:05:56.643 ♪ ♪ 0:05:56.643,0:05:59.350 At one point we'd been[br]photographing for a while, 0:05:59.350,0:06:01.490 we were very close,[br]and she said, "You know, 0:06:01.490,0:06:03.590 "I don't know,[br]I just think your pictures 0:06:03.590,0:06:06.330 "are a little weird,[br]you know, a little boring. 0:06:06.330,0:06:07.970 "Can we make[br]some real pictures?" 0:06:07.970,0:06:09.840 And, I said, "Well, yeah." 0:06:09.840,0:06:12.251 ♪ ♪ 0:06:12.251,0:06:13.900 And I said,[br]"I'll just lock off the frame 0:06:13.900,0:06:16.481 "and do whatever you want." 0:06:16.481,0:06:22.845 ♪ ♪ 0:06:22.845,0:06:26.430 She got naked[br]and was kind of imitating 0:06:26.430,0:06:28.188 these provocative poses, 0:06:28.188,0:06:30.487 but then almost doing violence to them. 0:06:33.334,0:06:35.960 There was, uh, a desire 0:06:35.960,0:06:39.150 to have some of that glamour[br]or, uh, sex appeal 0:06:39.150,0:06:42.550 or whatever, and then she[br]rejected it at the same time. 0:06:42.550,0:06:43.789 And I thought, 0:06:43.789,0:06:48.449 This is closer[br]to what I feel as a woman. 0:06:48.449,0:06:52.023 ♪ ♪ 0:06:52.023,0:06:54.000 I mean we're talking about what's beautiful. 0:06:54.000,0:06:55.160 That's beautiful. 0:06:55.160,0:06:57.070 That is raw. 0:06:57.070,0:06:59.507 That's generous. 0:06:59.507,0:07:01.900 And her 0:07:01.900,0:07:04.770 allowing herself to be vulnerable, 0:07:04.770,0:07:06.543 is actually a strength. 0:07:13.092,0:07:16.296 I'm always drawn[br]to more difficult material. 0:07:16.296,0:07:18.643 ♪ ♪ 0:07:18.643,0:07:20.412 My best friend growing up, 0:07:20.412,0:07:23.668 she ended up having[br]a lot of problems 0:07:23.668,0:07:27.070 with--with drug abuse[br]and homelessness, and 0:07:27.575,0:07:30.379 the last time I saw her alive 0:07:30.379,0:07:31.730 she told me, 0:07:32.235,0:07:35.539 "You know, people don't want[br]to look at me. 0:07:35.539,0:07:37.629 "I know I don't exist anymore." 0:07:37.629,0:07:40.410 Um, that people[br]avert their eyes. 0:07:40.410,0:07:41.810 "I'm not even a person. 0:07:41.810,0:07:43.051 I'm a junkie." 0:07:43.051,0:07:46.300 ♪ ♪ 0:07:46.300,0:07:48.884 And as time has gone on, 0:07:49.750,0:07:51.289 the people that[br]I've photographed, 0:07:51.289,0:07:55.815 or the places I've gone have[br]been completely overlooked. 0:07:55.815,0:08:01.697 ♪ ♪ 0:08:01.697,0:08:04.710 I'd been thinking for a long[br]time about making a film, 0:08:04.710,0:08:05.740 or how to make a film, 0:08:05.740,0:08:09.750 because the circumstances of 0:08:09.750,0:08:12.270 making my photographs are,[br]in a way, 0:08:12.270,0:08:14.370 almost more important[br]than the pictures themselves, 0:08:14.370,0:08:15.747 or as important. 0:08:16.247,0:08:17.060 - What's in your hair? 0:08:17.060,0:08:17.781 - In my hair? 0:08:17.805,0:08:19.142 - I've been thinking[br]a lot about, 0:08:19.142,0:08:22.384 how can I represent or convey[br]a person's energy, 0:08:22.384,0:08:25.608 sense of humor, stories,[br]what have you. 0:08:25.608,0:08:27.546 ♪ ♪ 0:08:27.546,0:08:29.749 There's a lot that a[br]photograph can do. 0:08:30.615,0:08:31.615 But it can't do that. 0:08:34.649,0:08:37.797 - ♪ I've made[br]some bad decisions ♪ 0:08:37.797,0:08:39.687 ♪ In my life ♪ 0:08:40.096,0:08:41.843 ♪ Oh, oh ♪ 0:08:42.670,0:08:45.397 ♪ But it could get better ♪ 0:08:46.119,0:08:47.543 - This place is, uh... 0:08:48.409,0:08:50.170 It's really[br]something else, man. 0:08:50.795,0:08:52.760 - Well, The Nine's[br]the name of a street. 0:08:52.760,0:08:56.130 It's the local name[br]for South Ninth Street 0:08:56.130,0:08:59.548 in the Central Valley,[br]Modesto, California. 0:09:01.761,0:09:05.599 [ambient music] 0:09:05.599,0:09:09.334 Everyone shares, [stammers][br]you know, a struggle. 0:09:09.334,0:09:13.443 And there's a candor and[br]openness about that struggle. 0:09:13.443,0:09:14.590 [on TV][br]- It's plain old-fashioned. 0:09:14.590,0:09:15.590 - Nobody says you have to like it. 0:09:15.590,0:09:16.850 - That's the way it is. 0:09:16.850,0:09:19.950 I met a woman[br]named Vanessa on The Nine, 0:09:19.950,0:09:21.200 and she introduced me to 0:09:21.200,0:09:23.247 to some other people[br]over time. 0:09:24.258,0:09:26.370 I asked them[br]if they might be interested 0:09:26.370,0:09:27.659 in making a film together, 0:09:27.659,0:09:31.030 and they were[br]really enthusiastic, 0:09:31.030,0:09:33.780 and I spent a long time[br]hanging out, 0:09:33.780,0:09:35.550 seeing what would happen, 0:09:35.550,0:09:37.310 getting to know people[br]really well, 0:09:37.310,0:09:39.339 seeing what would unfold. 0:09:39.339,0:09:44.352 [acoustic guitar music] 0:09:44.352,0:09:47.320 I didn't want to make a movie[br]that was sensationalizing 0:09:47.320,0:09:50.490 lives that are[br]already quite victimized, 0:09:50.490,0:09:53.560 but instead[br]showing how mundane, 0:09:53.560,0:09:56.680 how ordinary, how in fact, recognizable, 0:09:56.680,0:09:57.870 their lives were. 0:09:57.870,0:10:01.275 ♪ ♪ 0:10:01.275,0:10:05.609 - My mama used to say every[br]hair on my head was counted. 0:10:06.000,0:10:07.426 When I met Kiki, 0:10:08.003,0:10:12.000 it was really vital that she tell her own story. 0:10:12.000,0:10:12.869 ♪ ♪ 0:10:12.869,0:10:14.380 - She said, "Don't be afraid. 0:10:16.353,0:10:19.287 "You're worth more than[br]hundreds of sparrows." 0:10:19.287,0:10:23.029 ♪ ♪ 0:10:23.029,0:10:24.471 I don't know, though. 0:10:26.587,0:10:28.464 Even one sparrow[br]is holy to me. 0:10:28.464,0:10:32.759 ♪ ♪ 0:10:35.042,0:10:36.042 Let's eat. 0:10:36.932,0:10:37.840 Come on, babies. 0:10:37.840,0:10:39.489 [chatter on television] 0:10:39.489,0:10:41.589 - I'm not a journalist. 0:10:41.589,0:10:44.733 I saw us as making a film together. 0:10:44.733,0:10:49.840 [ambient music] 0:10:49.840,0:10:51.910 I worked with her for five years. 0:10:51.910,0:10:54.380 Spent so much time with Kiki. 0:10:55.294,0:10:59.589 And at the same time,[br]I am watching her 0:10:59.589,0:11:01.038 hurting herself. 0:11:01.038,0:11:03.260 And then I get to go home 0:11:03.260,0:11:05.274 to my house in Berkeley. 0:11:05.274,0:11:06.490 And what does that mean? 0:11:06.490,0:11:08.396 Do I have the right[br]to be there? 0:11:08.396,0:11:12.475 ♪ ♪ 0:11:12.475,0:11:15.903 It's--yeah,[br]it's--it's difficult, 0:11:15.903,0:11:18.000 and it raises[br]a lot of questions. 0:11:18.000,0:11:20.736 ♪ ♪ 0:11:20.736,0:11:24.000 I struggle with[br]wanting to do more. 0:11:24.625,0:11:26.751 Probably feeling a bit guilty, 0:11:26.751,0:11:29.312 and at the same time really valuing my friendships. 0:11:29.312,0:11:31.929 ♪ ♪ 0:11:31.929,0:11:33.860 I don't know, it'sit's[br]you know, the fact is, 0:11:33.860,0:11:36.260 it's complicated[br]and it's not resolvable, 0:11:36.260,0:11:37.760 and yet to avoid it 0:11:37.760,0:11:39.940 is sort of becoming[br]complicit 0:11:39.940,0:11:44.543 in--in not seeing. 0:11:44.543,0:11:50.230 [stirring music] 0:12:06.000,0:12:07.394 - Is this where[br]we went last time? 0:12:07.394,0:12:10.519 - Um, yeah, this is[br]the same route we went. 0:12:11.813,0:12:14.902 I think what we should do[br]is wait and get the sunset. 0:12:15.210,0:12:18.000 It's rather short, the dance. 0:12:19.140,0:12:22.751 Right now I'm kind of at the beginning again. 0:12:22.751,0:12:24.485 ♪ ♪ 0:12:24.485,0:12:27.242 And I have lots of ideas. 0:12:27.242,0:12:29.276 ♪ ♪ 0:12:29.276,0:12:31.209 I torture myself[br]'cause I feel like 0:12:31.209,0:12:35.122 I never know where I'm going,[br]but that's what's required. 0:12:35.122,0:12:36.000 - This is cool. 0:12:36.000,0:12:37.240 I really like all of this. 0:12:37.240,0:12:41.488 ♪ ♪ 0:12:41.488,0:12:44.226 - There are these[br]repeated kinds of 0:12:44.226,0:12:46.140 relationships that I have, 0:12:46.140,0:12:48.610 which are about 0:12:48.610,0:12:51.030 an unexpected collaboration. 0:12:52.545,0:12:53.623 [whispers][br]Okay. 0:12:53.623,0:12:56.155 - What--what[br]what does this look like? 0:12:56.155,0:12:58.551 ♪ ♪ 0:12:58.551,0:13:00.000 - It's all beautiful. 0:13:01.949,0:13:04.510 Probably the most[br]important part for me 0:13:04.510,0:13:07.000 is the leap of faith 0:13:07.000,0:13:09.579 that we both take[br]to trust one another. 0:13:09.579,0:13:12.455 ♪ ♪ 0:13:12.455,0:13:14.586 Life is a lot more interesting 0:13:14.586,0:13:16.070 than kind of remaining[br]in my studio 0:13:16.070,0:13:17.810 or my little[br]my little bubble. 0:13:19.470,0:13:22.022 - Yeah, you know, should we do[br]the thing with the spotlight? 0:13:22.022,0:13:23.288 The--the car lights? 0:13:25.573,0:13:28.785 ♪ ♪ 0:13:28.785,0:13:31.514 I guess I wanna be[br]shaken out of complacency. 0:13:32.404,0:13:36.468 I think discomfort is[br]a really important feeling, 0:13:36.468,0:13:38.750 and it might[br]help you recognize 0:13:38.750,0:13:41.594 some of your own limitations[br]in the way you see the world. 0:13:42.700,0:13:44.566 Or just the fact of other possibilities. 0:13:44.566,0:13:46.269 [laughs][br]I'm sorry. 0:13:46.269,0:13:47.367 Hold on. 0:13:55.497,0:13:58.156 ♪ ethereal ambient music ♪ 0:13:58.156,0:14:02.008 To learn more about Art21 and our educational resources, 0:14:02.008,0:14:06.606 please visit us onine at PBS.org/art21 0:14:11.176,0:14:15.874 "Art in the Twenty-First Century" Season 9 is available on DVD. 0:14:16.139,0:14:23.072 To order, visit shop.PBS.org or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS. 0:14:23.866,0:14:28.223 This program is also availble for download on iTunes.