YOUNG MEN; WORST FEARS
by Jillian Edelstein
Young Men, Worst Fears was developed while mentoring underprivileged youth at North London's Arsenal Football Club. I noticed regular and alarming reports about the deaths of local young men in knife related stabbings and high levels of male suicide in national and local newspapers. When talking with the young men, I discovered that absent fathers, gangs, drugs, childhood poverty, a dearth of male role models, mental health issues, existential issues related to the 'growing pains' of young men emerging into adulthood in challenging inner city London, was a common theme running through all of their lives. It seemed that the question 'What is your worst fear?' ignited their imagination and caused them to keenly vocalise their frustrations.
The portrait of Gabriel Harvey whose fear is Isolation was a finalist in the LensCulture Portrait Awards 2017. Gabriel knew that he was gay from a very early age – homophobia, bullying, peer group pressure are some of the other challenges facing these young men as they navigate their uneasy way into adulthood.
Portrait of a young man with dark skin and short hair wearing a black hoodie, looking down, against a black background.
A young man with a shaved head, shirtless, wearing dark blue pants and black socks, sitting against a plain white wall on a wooden floor. He appears to be in a contemplative or sorrowful state, with different poses in each of three photos, emphasizing themes of solitude and introspection.
A person standing on a balcony with arms outstretched, overlooking a cityscape in the distance. They are wearing a gray hoodie and gray sweatpants.
A man with tattoos lying on a bed, resting his head on a blue pillow, wearing a black sleeveless shirt, with one arm raised and resting on his forehead, wearing a gold watch on his wrist. There is a white wall behind him.
A young woman in a beige fur coat standing outdoors among green foliage, holding a skull in her right hand, with a serious expression on her face.
Two young men wearing black jackets and hoodies, one with a black beanie and the other with a black beanie and gray sweatpants. The man on the left is wearing a black face mask with a white cartoonish smiling mouth design, standing against a plain white wall. The man on the right is standing in a doorway, looking at the camera, with indoor lighting visible behind him. The title of the image is 'Failure,' taken by Stazzy Stasopoulos in 2017.