DJ Carr: Crossroads
Curated by Tiffany Gaines
May 28 – July 16, 2021
DJ Carr is a Buffalo, NY resident whose pride in his community is reflected in his photography practice; his images breathe life into the significance of small moments, taking to the streets to highlight the people and places whose stories so often go untold or get lost in the grind of the day-to-day.
In Crossroads – Carr’s first solo exhibition – his focus is on his home, Buffalo’s West Side. Over the course of the summers of 2019 and 2020, Carr became fascinated by the undeniable presence of ATVs, four-wheelers, motorcycles, and dirt bikes on the streets. Through time spent building relationships with the riders and their friends, Carr came to learn about the camaraderie and pride at the core of the bike life. His authentic, raw, and vibrant street portraits capture a commanding collective of riders. With residents demanding their own pockets of peace and quiet and increasing incentives to report riders to local police, the West Side’s bike culture illuminates larger conversations around entitlements to space and the ways these needs can conflict within communities. In spite of its maligned perception, the bike life can be a sacred space for riders, one of freedom and fellowship, with Carr’s images providing an immersive view.
As the nuanced realities of community collide, the focus of Carr’s lens shifts, documenting neighbors, small business owners, and a local firehouse of first responders. Juxtaposing subjects with seemingly different experiences, interests, and passions, Carr evokes from them all a similar sense of presence, a similar pride and authority over their own narratives. In reality, whether it’s running into fires, running a business, or riding in spite of the law, there is a certain risk, but also a certain reward, that threads these communities together in more ways than one.
About the artist:
DJ Carr is a Western New York artist known for his authentic feel, attention to detail, and monochromatic captures. A self-taught photographer, DJ has been shooting since 2012. His interest in the visual arts stems from a love for cinema. His images primarily focus on people, as his work strives to highlight the many different stories that everyone has to tell.
