A trio of French artists have created a photo project in which they cram people into different vehicles and set it all in various locations around Los Angeles.
Conceived by Romain Dussaulx, Yann Rabanier, and Thomas Cestia, Cars and Bodies explores the themes of culture, sociology, and transportation, Wired reports. Dussaulx explains, “Overall, the photos work as a kind of sociological study of different parts of the city.”
The three men managed to persuade 120 friends to participate in the peculiar project which involved packing themselves sardine-like into vehicles in the middle of a sweltering California summer.
Dussaulx told Wired, “Most of the people in the cars didn’t know each other when we started but they definitely felt close after the shoot.” He added, “I’m pretty sure that a lot of these people are now friends.”
Each of the shots pays tribute to the neighborhoods in which the photograph was taken. For example in Venice, basketball players spill out of a minuscule vintage Fiat 500, in reference to the neighborhood’s famous local basketball courts. In another shot, migrant workers fill a white van parked in front of an immaculate lawn in Beverley Hills.
Cars and Bodies also offers a critique of the infamously absurd car culture in LA, a city in which almost everyone drives, for the most part alone.
The trio hope to continue the project to investigate the culture of different cities; perhaps featuring Tokyo’s notably overcrowded public transport system, or Amsterdam’s celebrated bicycles.