Dawoud Bey, DeMarco, South Shore High School, 2003, Chromogenic print, Courtesy of the artist, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, and Gorney Bravin + Lee

Interview Excerpt

Audio: (1MB mp3 file; 48 seconds)

I like when people look at a picture of me and be like, "oh, he looks like he'll do something bad like this." Some people might look, like, "oh, he looks like a bad kid, or... like, I can picture him doing... beatin' up somebody or taking something from somebody," whereas that's not me at all. I guess there is a certain look, 'cause I've experienced it before. Like, teachers in school, they're like "oh I thought you was a bad kid, but you're alright," you know. 'Cause I like to prove people wrong so I can make me look better in the end. 'Cause as they get to know me, then they'll see—like I said, I'm a funny person—and they'll see I'm a funny person.