Maxim Ryzansky

American photographer Maxim contributed an 8 page series to our Three Letter Words issue in late 2009 which focused on suburban youth and was titled KID USA.

His series was the highlight of that issue and featured a number of images that had been taken over several years across the US, from New Jersey to Kansas to Arizona. Maxim commented on his series, saying "In a land of seemingly endless opportunities, finding your true self can be as easy as it is hard... but I love the leap like you mean it, all or nothing attitude of youth and can only hope that we can hold on to at least a part of that as we grow older." A professor of History of Photography at the Pratt Institute of Continuing Education, many of Maxim's photos have a disturbing and sometimes violent aspect to them. They give an unflinching glimpse into the lives of suburban American teens impacted by competing religious, social, cultural and political influences and under the weight of their passage into adulthood. You can discover more of Maxim's incredible photos on his website.