LARRY CLARK RETROSPECTIVE

The International Center of Photography in New York will present the first American retrospective of the work of Larry Clark, one of the most important and influential American photographers of the second half of the 20th century, from March 11 through June 5, 2005.

The exhibition, Larry Clark, will include the full spectrum of Clark’s work, spanning five decades and as many media.

Clark is currently in postproduction on his sixth feature, Wassup Rockers, which Palm Pictures had initially inked a deal to produce, but they pulled out days before the start of production, according to Clark. The film is now being produced by Henry Winterstern (Wicker Park, Underworld) through Capital Entertainment/Dual Films; Clark is scheduled to complete editing in mid-May.

According to the Killer Movies Web site, “Like Clark’s controversial Kids, Rockers will feature street kids in leading roles. This time, the story is set in South Central Los Angeles and follows a group of largely Hispanic teenagers who, instead of conforming to the hip-hop culture of their neighborhood, ride skateboards, listen to punk rock and wear their clothes tight.

“Constantly harassed, they take buses to Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Hollywood, where they skate and catch the attention of the local rich girls, inevitably leading to trouble with parents, police and boyfriends.”

In conjunction with the ICP retrospective, the Pioneer Theater in NYC will screen Clark’s films over four nights in mid-May. (No word yet on whether Ken Park will be included in the Pioneer program.)

On a related note: Vincent Kartheiser, star of Clark’s second feature, Another Day in Paradise, will join the cast of the Off-Broadway theater production Slag Heap at the Cherry Lane Theater (38 Commerce Street). The play begins previews on March 29th and opens on April 13th.

“Set in Manchester, England, Slag Heap is the strangely hilarious yet moving chronicle of teenage prostitutes, born from Thatcher’s politics in the aftermath of Britain’s Industrial Revolution in a world where the buying and selling of humanity has become the primary industry.”
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