Urban Cars is a personal project started in 2007 photographing vintage cars, primarily from the 1970's, and a study of beauty and design through color, form, and space. With a few exceptions the cars are photographed using Brooklyn’s industrial and urban landscape as the backdrop. The compositions are similar to portraits, photographing the cars in profile and isolated from people and other cars.
My work process is intuitive and most cars I never see more than once except for a few which I know where they “live”. The visual relationship between the cars and their environment is more important to me as a photographer than the brand, model, production year, or engine size.
American cars of this era are still popular for their (masculine) aesthetics and raw power. They were built with individual expression in mind and as mechanical cars they are fairly easy to maintain and tinker with for hobbyists. The European cars reflect longevity and craftsmanship, attributes that are rare in today’s modern and generically designed cars.
The project is also a celebration of 1970’s vernacular color photography and the freedom, expression, and adventure that the automobile represents in American popular culture.



