In the mid-to-late 1940’s a new subculture in America emerged and grew during the post war prosperity of the 1950’s. Young Latino youths had been known to place sandbags in their custom vehicles, so that the body of their car would ride close to the road; “slow and low” being their motto. This was aesthetically pleasing for those involved in the scene and would later be technologically advanced, for the same effect to be achieved by hydraulics. Lowriding had begun and the vehicles were decorated to hold political statements and sported images representing Latino culture. As the years passed and the 21st Century began, Lowriding culture became extremely popular. Often seen in popular music videos, the scene was embraced by cultures all around the world and had huge global appeal. For “Ground Clearance”, I returned to America and documented the scene in 2016 – 2017.
Project Ground Clearance by Owen Harvey has been awarded with the Second Place Award in Daily Life category at Photogrvphy Grant 2018.
Owen Harvey is a London based photographer. With an interest in youth and subculture, his images focus on both the notion of individual identity and social groups.
Website: owen-harvey.com
