Mike Brodie Explained

Mike Brodie (born 1985), also known as the "Polaroid Kid"[1] or "Polaroid Kidd", is an American photographer. Since 2003, Brodie has freighthopped across the US, photographing people he encountered, largely train-hoppers, vagabonds, squatters, and hobos. He has published A Period of Juvenile Prosperity (2013), Tones of Dirt and Bone (2015), and the box of reproduction Polaroids Polaroid Kid (2023).

Life and work

Michael Christopher Brodie was born on April 5, 1985, in Mesa, Arizona, the son of Frankie and Gary Brodie. His mother worked most of her life as a maid and caregiver, though is currently a cashier at Walgreens, while his father is currently serving his 3rd prison sentence at the Florence State Prison, in Arizona. In 2000, the Brodie family moved to Pensacola, Florida where Brodie met his first girlfriend who introduced him to the punk rock music scene and the lifestyle therein.

In 2003, while washing dishes at his home, Brodie witnessed a young couple huddled close together on a passing railroad freight car, intrigued by this, Brodie (then age 18) left home, eventually freighthopping across the US from 2004 to 2008. He photographed his experiences including the people he encountered, largely train-hoppers, vagabonds, squatters and hobos.[2] Initially he used a Polaroid SX-70 given to him by a friend. When Polaroid discontinued SX-70 film around 2005/2006 he swapped to a Nikon F3 and 35 mm film.

His first cross-country trip brought him to Oakland, CA where he met Paul Schiek, founder of TBW Books. Schiek helped Brodie produce two bodies of work from this (latter) period: Tones of Dirt and Bone and A Period of Juvenile Prosperity, which have been exhibited in galleries and become books. Although A Period of Juvenile Prosperity was published and exhibited first, the images in Tones of Dirt and Bone were produced earlier, when Brodie used Polaroid film, before he switched to the 35 mm format of A Period of Juvenile Prosperity. "The 35mm format let me shoot more candidly and truly capture real moments, not staged portraits."[3]

A Period of Juvenile Prosperity was included in lists of best photobooks of 2013 by critic Sean O'Hagan in The Guardian,[4] Clinton Cargill in The New York Times,[5] Dazed,[6] Mother Jones[7] and American Photo magazine.[8] Kenneth Baker, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, listed the A Period of Juvenile Prosperity exhibition at Stephen Wirtz Gallery in his top 10 list for 2013.[9] Vince Aletti in Artforum named Brodie's show in New York as the show of the year, and has said of Brodie's work: "Even if you're not intrigued by Brodie's ragtag bohemian cohort—a band of outsiders with an unerring sense of post-punk style—the intimate size and warm, slightly faded color of his prints are seductive. His portraits . . . have a tender incisiveness that is rare at any age."[10] Martin Parr and Gerry Badger call the photographs of A Period of Juvenile Prosperity "unashamedly romantic and warm toned".[11]

Photographer Alec Soth, writing in The Telegraph, included A Period of Juvenile Prosperity in his top ten photobooks of 2013:

Writing in his own blog, Soth also said "Everything about this book is perfect: the size, printing, sequence, cover image, title and essay."[12] Parr and Badger include the book in the third volume of their photobook history, saying that "what makes this book stand out is the quality of the photographs".

Brodie has also collaborated with Swoon, Chris Stain, and Monica Canilao.

In 2009, Brodie attended and graduated from the Nashville Auto-Diesel College, in Nashville, TN, with goals of attaining a career in that field.

After A Period of Juvenile Prosperity was released in 2013, Brodie said he was giving up photography. However, in 2021, in an interview with AnOther Magazine, he said he was taking pictures again. Brodie explained "My camera's kind of always been around, there was just a break in my mid to late 20s. I decided I wanted to get into the trades, I didn't want to be an artist by trade. So I went to diesel mechanic school."[13] As of 2017 Brodie is working as a diesel mechanic for the Union Pacific Railroad, along with his wife, who works as a conductor.

Publications

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

External links

Notes and References

  1. The Polaroid Kid . Deborah . Lattimore . 9 . 2007 . . March 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190518144146/https://jpgmag.com/magazine/9 . May 18, 2019 . dead .
  2. Web site: The Polariod Kid . https://web.archive.org/web/20060528133535/http://www.fecalface.com/SF/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57 . dead . May 28, 2006 . March 12, 2006 . Trippe . Fecal Face . March 11, 2014 .
  3. Making It Count: An Interview with Mike Brodie. Matthews. Katherine Oktober. February 2015. GUP Magazine. GUP#44 - Raw.
  4. Web site: Sean O'Hagan . Sean O'Hagan (journalist) . The best independent photobooks of 2013 . December 13, 2013 . The Guardian.
  5. Web site: Clinton Cargill . The Top 10 Photo Books of 2013 . December 19, 2013 . The New York Times.
  6. Web site: Zing Tsjeng . The best photography books of 2013 . Dazed . 2013.
  7. Web site: Mother Jones' Photographers Pick the Best Photobooks of 2013 . Mother Jones . December 19, 2013.
  8. Web site: 2013 Photo Books of the Year: Documentary . Jack Crager . American Photo . November 12, 2013.
  9. News: Looking back at art in 2013. December 26, 2013 . March 12, 2014 . Kenneth . Baker . San Francisco Chronicle .
  10. News: Mike Brodie's freight train photographs: 'It's a romantic life, at least in the spring and summer'. Sean . O'Hagan . Sean O'Hagan (journalist) . . March 30, 2013 . March 11, 2014 .
  11. Book: Martin Parr . Gerry Badger . Martin Parr . Gerry Badger . The Photobook: A History, Volume III . London . Phaidon . 2014 . 143 . 978-0-7148-6677-2.
  12. Web site: Popsicle #15: A Period of Juvenile Prosperity by Mike Brodie. April 24, 2013 . March 12, 2014 . Alec . Soth . .
  13. Web site: AnOther . 2021-05-25 . Mike Brodie’s Pictures of the Fascinating, Fleeting Train Rider Subculture . 2023-05-16 . AnOther . en.
  14. Web site: Subscription Series 1 . March 11, 2014 . TBW Books . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140311181659/http://www.tbwbooks.com/books/Subscription-Series-1 . March 11, 2014 .
  15. http://www.twinpalms.com/?p=recently_released&bookID=185 Publisher's publicity page
  16. Web site: Rosen . Miss . Photographs of American runaway kids in the 00s . 2023-10-21 . i-d.vice.com . en.
  17. Web site: Mike Brodie . March 12, 2014 . M+B . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130928164300/http://www.mbart.com/exhibitions/_26/ . September 28, 2013 .
  18. Web site: Dry Ink; Have Camera, Will Travel . https://web.archive.org/web/20080207105155/http://www.dryinkmag.com/have-camera-will-travel . February 7, 2008.
  19. Web site: Previous Exhibitions. March 12, 2014 . Get This! Gallery .
  20. Web site: Polaroid Kidd at Needles + Pens. March 12, 2014 . Needles and Pens .
  21. Web site: Mike Brodie A Period of Juvenile Prosperity . March 12, 2014 . Stephen Wirtz Gallery . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140312225211/http://www.wirtzgallery.com/exhibitions/2013/2013_09/brodie_frame.html . March 12, 2014 .
  22. Web site: Juxtapoz Magazine - Mike Brodie Exhibits New Work for the First Time Since 2013 . 2023-10-21 . www.juxtapoz.com . en-gb.

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