Photographer Ryan Schude captures the quirks of car culture

By Sophia Kercher

For some individuals the automobile is an appliance, a way to get from point A to point B. For others, it is an extension of who they are. Los Angeles-based photographer Ryan Schude captures this in his series “Them & Theirs,” with images of Southern Californians, and other individuals, in front of their cars.

The photographer is known for his boundary-pushing still images that often feature energetic cinematic scenes with chaos or action at the center. In contrast, many of his “Them & Theirs” collection images are portraits with Schude’s signature eye for color.

Schude, who drives a sleek red ’72 Jaguar XJ6, has been working on his “Them & Theirs” series for more than 10 years. He finds his subjects by leaving notes on cars that catch his eye, or through friends. “It’s a celebration of someone’s personality as opposed to the fact that they are obsessed with their car,” Schude explains.

Leslie Kendall, a curator of the Los Angeles’ Petersen Automotive Museum and owner of a banana yellow weekend sports car, views the automobile as an innate way to express ourselves. “It’s like putting on clothing,” he says.

Our rides, just like so many of our possessions, are tools for reinforcing the way we perceive ourselves and the way others perceive us. One study found that the extent to which someone associates their status with driving affects how often they choose to be behind the wheel. Another study concluded that people with access to cars have stronger feelings of “autonomy, protection, and prestige” than public transportation users.

It’s not surprising considering cars originated in the late 19th century as glamorous toys for the wealthy as much as utilitarian modes of transport. The 2011 book “Auto Motives: Understanding Car Use Behaviours,” (Emerald Group Publishing) co-authored by three transportation researchers, notes: “The private car in particular can have strong symbolic appeal, because through years of persistent media advertisement it is commonly understood and accepted as a symbol that denotes social status.”

Schude brings this intimate relationship into focus in his exuberant work.