Andre was (and is) a homeless man of German descent whom I first met during the Covid pandemic. Along with him and about half a dozen of his street companions, I created a series of photographs entitled The Blue Mask Project. It was an anti-mask series, and to create a sense of irony I had them tear open a small section of a surgical mask so that a cigarette could pass through and into the subject’s mouth.

Andre is an artist himself, with a wild imagination. He admired what I was doing photographically, and after the pandemic a working friendship formed—one that has now lasted for nearly six years. Working with him is deeply enjoyable because he is “hands-on” with every shoot we’ve done together. To collaborate with someone so directly in the picture-making process is both rewarding and gives a sense of completeness to the work.

Over my forty-five years of photographing models, I’ve learned that one never knows exactly what a particular individual will bring to the process. Such is the case with Andre.