Essex Wheels

The Essex Automobile made in 1918, and for a few years after, had wheels made of wood with wooden spokes. My studio had been an Essex dealership. Bought the building, found the wheels. Old they are, well used, and carrying the beauty, integrity and character of a functional life well served. I'm also old, and gave myself to photographing them to unite their strength with the aesthetic of aging, and identifying with them as almost looking in a mirror.

Contemporary wheels are a far cry from wooden spokes. Creating a meditation of then and now, more than a century apart, I found the stylish visual chatter of toy wheels emblematic of right now!

Two sets of pictures: 1918 Essex wheel sets, showing the back and front sides of the same wheel. Toys join the party combined with Individual wheels for pictures offering eclectic references to modern culture, while holding hands with the contrapuntal visual melody of elegant old.