V8 Boogie
- Date published
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12-mag-2006
The scene, moments and impressions captured by photographer Axel Bienert tell stories about big boys with sideburns and pomaded quiffs, about girls in petticoats and cars painted in flame designs with engines bursting with power. At the same time there is more to it than just quoting the regalia of a Rockabilly subculture.
Bienert’s pictures document the vitality and moment with an authenticity and radiance that goes further than the symbolism of tattoos, cars and plush dice hanging from rear-view mirrors. V8 Boogie is a monument to positivity and a rebellion devoid of sub-cultural stereotypes.
The photos of gas-guzzling hot rod races, of streamlined custom cars, of rockabilly bands and their ecstatic Rock’n’Roll will never die! fans reveal an immediate sensuality and corporality—a sexiness bare of depleted imagery and far from anything occupied by the pop culture industry. Axel Bienert has built a memorial to people that are consistently trying to live their dream of freedom or as he puts it: “…that are wearing the same jeans for three years so they can afford a new engine for their rod next year.” With an enthusiasm like this one thing is certain: Rock’n’Roll will never die!
Carhartt presents Axel Bienert’s photographs in a touring exhibition at different shops alongside an original hot rod. Go for the Boogie!
