#HGVOICES
Stunning Photos Of New Zealand's 'Mighty Mongrel Gang' By Jono Rotman
"I explained that I wasn't trying to "tell their story," expose them, or some shit like that. Instead I told them I wanted to take martial portraits. The more they thought it was honest, the more they understood I wanted to produce something more complex than a cultural postcard. Then once there was a go-ahead from the top, the guys down the bottom were happy to cooperate."
"It peeled the lid off the NZ I knew—some of these guys are from serious poverty and from some fucking difficult environments. That's helped a lot in understanding my country. It's humbling to meet people who've had an utterly different upbringing to my own, and to be welcomed. It's also an insight into the forces that have made New Zealand. These guys have played a very important role."
Source: Vice
Photos By: Jono Rotman