Tell Them About Me Ryan Cookson Book Launch
Where?
Metropolis Bookshop — Level 3, Curtin House 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 (get directions)
When?
Thursday 18th October, 6—8pm
“Tell Them About Me is a photographic series by Ryan Cookson exploring car culture in Soweto and the surrounding areas of Johannesburg, South Africa. In the late-80s, BMW’s E30 models, specifically the 325i, became notorious through its association with criminal culture. These cars – known locally as ‘gusheshe’ – were often spun in circles both as an expression of skill, and as means of honouring the dead at funerals.
By the early-90s, this expression of gangster flamboyance morphed into a motorsport championed by the South African people – and it’s still practised in the throughout the country today. Inspired by amateur videos of car spinners, I travelled to Johannesburg twice – once in 2016 and again in 2017 – to document the participants of this unique motorsport. This was made possible through the generous support of Hillvale Photo.
The resulting images offer a rare glimpse into this subculture, collated and presented by Knowledge Editions in the form of a 108-page book. The publication also features a 24 page research archive of stills taken from amateur videos and a dual-purpose book jacket that folds into a 50 x 70cm poster designed by New York-based artist Hassan Rahim.”