What the Street View van saw... The random and anonymous slices of life captured as Google documents the world from the road-side




However much you travel the world, you will be hard-pressed to see as much of it as the combined forces of Google's Street View fleet.

The search firm's employees have so far trawled more than five million miles across the planet, with a tripod-mounted camera capturing a 360 of its environment as the driver keeps his eyes on the road.

Artist Jon Rafman has scoured the Street View website looking for fleeting, split-second moments which show us just slices of human life countless moments probably missed everyday by drivers, but preserved forever on film.

From the tiger prowling in the parking lot, to open gun purchases on the street, these images show just the variety of people living out their daily lives unobserved, at least until the Street View van goes by.

One of the fun elements of these series is that, other than Jon and Google, no-one knows where the images were taken.



From the lion in Essex to the tiger in the parking lot: This beast was caught checking out newer (but not greener) pastures

So instead, simply bask in brief glimpses of anonymous people living out their everyday lives. 'My work explores the paradoxes of modernity,' he explained. 'In 2008, a year after Google sent out an army of hybrid vehicles bearing nine cameras on a single pole to photograph the world, I began an exploration of this new virtual world, and was fascinated by how powerfully Street View photographs can represent our contemporary experience, the conflict they can express between an indifferent robotic camera and man’s search for connectedness and significance. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next Google Street View offers haunting new vision of... Google takes its street view trike on a tour of Mexico's... Share this article Share 'The photos underscore the tension between an uncaring camera and man’s need to interpret his experience. While celebrating and critiquing modern experience, the technological tools themselves show how they can estrange us from ourselves.'

These images, among with many others, are currently being displayed at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Drive-by shower: A fire hydrant gives its view on Google Street View

Horses for courses: But this is an equestrian who is not too happy about having his picture taken If you drove past this scene, you would think you had tripped into the film Inception - or perhaps it is a glitch in The Matrix. Alternatively, this is two images stitched together as Google Street View drove by

Street art? Or simply covered up - a white spirit appears on a deckchair in this wonder of the world

The house that rocks: It would take a second glance before you spotted this clever home tucked between boulders

You can run, but you can't hide! Not even a reindeer can outrun the omnipresent Street View cars

Alfred Hitchcock, Redux: The Birds gets a 2010 remake, this time involving a seaside resort and a lot of aerial bombardment

Attack of the gull: This looks like a different site altogether - but it is proof, perhaps, that seagulls are the same the world over

Even superheroes need a break ... One vigilante takes a quick break after protecting the park

Hopefully this is a prank, where someone knew the Street View team were coming to the town (or forest). Otherwise, this is a freaky visage to come across

Gun Wars #1: Murder scene? Pre-duel conversation? Filming for a reboot of the Sopranos? Either way, the driver probably made the decision to just keep driving

Gun Wars #2: ...Just keep driving...

Gun Wars #3: This looks like a playful scene, the modern day Cops vs Robbers, although with more guns

Hands behind your head: Police do a stop-and-search on a street

On the edge of town: This is presumed to be a prostitute looking for a client

This looks like a fire has broken out inside a building, judging from the panic of the inhabitants

Another property gets damaged: Luckily, this one is only a temporary problem, although the owners are not going to be happy when they wake up

What would you rather see eating your garbage, a rat or a horse?

Highway to Hell: End of the road, Jack. Now the Street View van can turn around, and head home

Street music: An accordion player busking on a street corner

Who goes there! A statue of a Roman god launching a thunderbolt

Just an average trip to the shops - dressed as a giant rabbit

An unusual early morning jog captured on Street view

Waiting for a lift: animal costumes feature heavily in the images

The images capture a variety of accidents, from cars to cyclists

We can see you: People hiding is another theme to the pictures, such as this boy caught crouched behind a bin

Animal encounters - the Google street view cars also capture a variety of wildlife

The images also capture serious accidents on their travels around the world





To see more images, visit

JonRafman.com

and follow the links to '9-Eyes'