Riley (Printed & Unframed)

The Life of Riley
Throughout the last year leading up to his teenage years, Riley had been mercilessly bullied at school. He had been knocked out inside the classroom - kicked, punched and verbally abused in the schoolyard, and followed and harassed on his way home. After endless meetings with the School Principal to no avail, Riley's parents decided to sell the family home and move away from the area. Taken in his backyard, this image was made on the evening prior to their departure for New Zealand.
 
This portrait of Riley is part of "Portraits from the Pavement", an ongoing series of photographic portraits made of strangers Brett Canét-Gibson meets on the streets of Perth Western Australia. All his images are made with natural light and a portable background. 
 
The "Portraits from the Pavement" project began in 2015. Over the last 6 years, portraits from this series have been exhibited in the National Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, four times—with five images represented (winning Highly Commended and People’s Choice in the same year with two different images, the first photographer in the history of the prize to do so). The series has also seen Canét-Gibson selected as a finalist in the Head On International Photography Awards (winning People’s Choice); the Olive Cotton Prize for Portraiture, twice; the Percival Prize, with two images selected—one of which won First Prize); and the Kuala Lumpur International Portrait Awards, just to name a few. Images from the series have also featured on national and international magazine covers.
 
Note: 
This image was created with the consent of the subject's parent/s and subject featured in it.
 
For more info:
Please refer to printed Artist Statement.