Vans And The Places They Were
At first glance you might expect Joe Stevens’ collection of van photos — Vans and the places they were — to be another nostalgic overdose of 70’s camp, but on closer inspection you’ll find some beautiful photos that transcend the limited scope of the series. I love the color composition and processing; I almost feel like I’m looking at some hyperrealist version of a Kevin Cyr painting. This is probably also the only other time you could get away with hanging a picture of a van conversion on your wall and convincing all your friends that it’s art. The best part of it all is that they don’t seem to be staged at all; they all seem to be random finds which makes the quality of the shots all the more incredible.
Sidenote: Looks like Joe’s site was built on Arlo Sites, a portfolio platform that looks pretty interesting. Not sure how it stacks up to Cargo or Squarespace though, this is the first I’ve seen of it.
19 Comments Leave A Comment
mike cottone / the green kingdom says:
February 8, 2010 at 6:11 amThird from the bottom is awesome (in terms of van and location). Love the burgundy, orange and yellow!
Jon says:
February 8, 2010 at 6:54 amVANDURA! Here’s mine…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonmutch/3685390187/sizes/l/
Jesse says:
February 8, 2010 at 7:33 amwow it is amazing how fitting each van is to its environment.
Jesse says:
February 8, 2010 at 7:46 amAfter looking at the website, it makes me wonder how i can break in to van graphics… doesnt seem like it would be that hard to compete with the four pattern variations of stripes, rounded corner rectangles, and back to back c shapes. Every time I see a cool van I catch myself comparing it to the A-team van.
mike says:
February 8, 2010 at 9:00 amIt’s a cool project and his idea that he’ll someday shoot the last van on the last roll of film is interesting.
Matt says:
February 8, 2010 at 10:29 amVantastic!
Tardlovski says:
February 8, 2010 at 2:07 pmvans are pure funk. i miss seeing these sorts of things driving around.
Cameron Ballensky says:
February 8, 2010 at 2:56 pmWow, look at the crazy dome on the top image. That is so strange looking, but awesome at the same time. I want something like that on my car.
KevInSanSalvador says:
February 8, 2010 at 2:58 pmGreat find.
Rudolph Pokorny says:
February 8, 2010 at 3:57 pmArlo looks pretty cool. Inexhibit gives similar results with free platform. http://www.indexhibit.org/
Rudolph Pokorny says:
February 8, 2010 at 6:55 pmP.S. the photos are fantastic.
Kieran says:
February 8, 2010 at 7:25 pmLove the orange van with the rock beneith it! I’d also like to get this past the picture sensor that is my wife and hang a bunch in frames. Unlikely!
Brett says:
February 8, 2010 at 7:42 pmHaha! @ Kieran, that’s not a Rock, it’s a Bag FULL of Rock’s. Or Kilo’s… Or $$$… That’s the drop spot for the local street deals! Notice the bars on the window?? Actually, upon further inspection, I notice that most of the windows have bars on them! They must go hand-in-hand, haha.
E-Dub says:
February 8, 2010 at 9:11 pmI think i see Uncle Rico in there. No doubt in my mind!
David Stewart says:
February 8, 2010 at 9:11 pmDude, my Dad just bought a 64 Chevy like the one in the last pic. Joe has done a great job of capturing the essence of the van. Of course, it’s hard to find an angle without groove on that van.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skylark64/4342169765/in/set-72157623260793613/
slofu says:
February 8, 2010 at 9:53 pm8th van down needs a landing pad on top for T.C.’s chopper: http://magnum-mania.com/images/opening_credits_low_flying_chopper_full.jpg
The orange van with the bag beneath pwnz.
Dave says:
February 9, 2010 at 6:42 amThis is amazing.
Ando says:
February 9, 2010 at 12:58 pmCarryology.com had a post a little while back with some cool van images as well: http://carryology.com/2009/12/07/achieving-liberation-through-your-ride…/
Vans capture so much mood and emotion. Maybe it’s that you think of not just where they are, but where the have been and are going?
JohnSun says:
February 19, 2010 at 1:38 pmWe had a van similar to these when I was little.
It’s too bad vans & cars today will never look this cool.