about

rides is a photographic study of the automobile and its surroundings. Every Tuesday I’ll feature a new image with limited edition prints. Have a look around, comment and share, and let me know what you think.

christopher benton
ridesphotos at gmail dot com

statement
When I first moved to New York from Louisiana, it took a while to get used to all the walking. I remember going to a grocery store just three blocks away, thinking it was really far and wondering how the hell I would carry everything home.

Now it’s no big deal. But I still remember that feeling of being thrust to street level, suddenly noticing how a certain slate sidewalk turns into concrete, and the way a rusty iron fence leads to bricks and brownstone. I moved to the biggest city in America and instead of skyscrapers or parks I was captivated by the details.

So these aren’t necessarily car shots. I’m interested in the ways all the elements like color and background work harmoniously. Also the location plays a big part in what I do, whether it’s an industrial area with large buildings or a residential street with perfect hedges. I’m looking for simplicity, color and form and for the car to speak to those elements.

Many photographers inspire me but my work is also just as inspired by the Noguchi Museum’s sculpture garden and New York City crime films of the 70′s, like The French Connection, Mean Streets and Serpico. There’s something magical about the way the Noguchi carves out calm in the middle of a raw, industrial, gritty neighborhood, much like the locations in those films. That’s something I’m trying to bring to these photographs.

All of these photos are taken as I walk the streets. I don’t own a car, ironically, preferring a day of wandering through the details.

Brooklyn, 2011