In2010,photographerDanMartensenwasintroducedtotheAngulobrothersbyfilmmakerCrystalMoselle,whohadjustbegunworkonthehitdocumentaryTheWolfpack.Chroniclingthelivesofthesixhome-schooledboyswhorecreatedcult-classicfilms,fashioningpropsaswellascostumesallfromtheconfinesoftheirLowerEastSideapartment(insideofwhichtheirfatheroncelockedthemforayear),Moselle’sunflinchingportrayaldocumentsthepowerofimaginationtoovercometherealitiesofatroubledupbringing.Atthesametime,Martensenbeganphotographingtheboys,capturingthecinema-inspiredworldtheyhadcreated,whilealsodocumentingtheirfirstforaysintototheworldoutside.Takenbetween2010and2015,theresultingcollectionofintimateportraitsandstilllifesthatcompriseMartensen’sTheWolfpackaddsyetanotherlayertothecaptivatingstoryoftheAngulobrothersandisaboldtestamenttotheenduringspiritofcreativity.DanMartensenwasbornandraisedinPleasantville,NewYork,andstudiedphotographyattheRhodeIslandSchoolofDesign.Sincetheearly2000s,hehasbeentravellingandphotographingacrossAmerica,principallyintheSouthwest,seekingoutthevisualparadoxesandembeddedhistoriesoftheregion,takingcuesfromlegendarychroniclersoftheAmericanvernacularsuchasWilliamEggleston,JoelSternfeldandStephenShore.Aselectionof60photographsfromthisprojectwaspublishedinMartensen’sbookPhotographsfromtheAmericanSouthwest(Damiani).
