Ken Richardson received his BFA from the Art Institute of Boston, where he now works as the Assistant Photo Lab Manager and course instructor. A native New Englander and resident of Somerville, MA, Richardson was recently selected for Photography Now at the South Shore Art Center and twice shown at the Danforth Museum of Art’s New England Photographers.

The images featured online are a part of his ongoing "Wheels" project dealing with methods of transportation and the people that use them. Richardson has visited events and venues where enthusiasts of all types (and all wheels) congregate—car shows, drag races, skateparks, mechanic shops, and motorcycle rallies—to study how people express themselves and create communities via their chosen method of transport. His use of light, both subtle and raking, contrasts and compliments the variety of surfaces inherent in these vehicles. Also included are scans of some pages from Richardson’s compelling notebooks, in which he incorporates text and chronicles ideas.

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PAST PRESENTATIONS

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about the Northeast Exposure.

Since I was a kid I have always been attracted to wheels. Growing up in suburban Massachusetts I spent much of my childhood on skateboards, bicycles and mini-bikes. I enjoyed the excitement of rolling away from my familiar neighborhood and these exploratory childhood memories of my first experiences on wheels are essentially connected to the feeling of freedom and adventure.

I am very interested in the connection between a person and the transportation they choose. Whether it’s recreation or necessity of travel, a person’s individuality can be seen through their "wheels". For the past few years I’ve been photographing events where enthusiasts congregate; car shows, drag races, skate parks, motorcycle rallies, vintage motorcycle races, etc. These events attract people from the casual observer to the completely obsessed fanatic. This project intends to show the unique ways in which people express themselves as well as define themselves with these vehicles.

In New England the wheels devotee has a long winter to obsess over their creations in preparation for the summer season of shows and races. New England is also such a densely populated area that roads, traffic and the daily task of getting from point A to point B dominate our environment. This chaotic visual collage creates an ideal setting to observe and photograph the byproducts and creations of a society constantly in transport

- Ken Richardson

Click each image for larger version and caption.