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Talking to strangers on a public-transit system is a crapshoot, as there’s an equal chance of finding rude urban professionals, chatty eco-friendly types, or folks that are straight-up batshit crazy. That’s why photographer and ASU student Sean Deckert rolled the dice when he decided to shoot black-and-white photos of people riding the light rail and then asked them to tell their stories.
“Traveling With Strangers: Portraits from the Light Rail,” Deckert’s gelatin-silver prints and accompanying factoids about the “models,” are currently on display through the end of the month in the solo exhibit. In one image, a stereotypical lawyer in a pinstriped suit and tie is too busy texting to look up for the camera. In another, an older dude who bummed a buck from Deckert shows off hospital bracelets and the mushroom tattoo he’s so proud of.
We have to ask: Did anyone ever say no? “I was denied the right to take pictures a couple times,” says Deckert, “but most everyone I approached was inviting. I think it was a real affirmation for me to choose one person from the crowd that kind of created a euphoric connection.”
June 15-30, 2010
