Commuters in England are highly dependent on public transport to go anywhere. Both trains and buses thus play a critical role for people in the middle and lower-income groups. Quite recently, the BBC also reported that the bus fare price will rise to three pounds from two, which is being met with criticism. This comes at a time when the country is already grappling with the rising food and housing crisis. In times like this, photography, as art, can help showcase the challenges a community or group of people faces. One such example is photographer Steve Madden and his upcoming book, The Grind.
The lead image and those within the article are courtesy of the artist and Gost Books.
“This book is dedicated to the memory of my dear parents, Maureen and Ernie. Without them, none of this…” wrote Madden in his publication. The book focuses on anonymous commuters traveling through London’s bus network. While you can’t see the face through the frosted windows, the images are created as an ode to the five million people who travel by bus daily despite the crowd and varied challenges thrown their way.
Beginning in 2017, Steven Madden, who was working with BBC Radio, would visit Central London on cold, rainy evenings to photograph the communities. Due to the condensation, the images appear like abstract paintings with bright hues and colors showcasing Londers in their own little world. The project continued until 2020 and was captured across several places, such as Hounslow, Islington, Kingston, Strand, Waterloo, and Whitechapel.
The resulting images depict the visual experience of seeing an endless stream of unidentifiable people travelling past on the bus, with flashes of colourful clothes against the harsh lighting of public transport.
Steve Madden
What is so compelling is that the obscured passengers appear to reflect, introspecting their little reveries and emotions. There appears to also be occasional human interaction, but despite the lack of features, one can almost sense tension, joy, sadness, and so on.
Reflecting on the challenges of the book, Steve Madden states: “All the best pictures were the ones that got away, of course – it’s one of the world’s busiest cities, and it’s full of obstructions, many of them human.” This also meant that he would often visit certain locations over and over, as he was “drawn” to them. Through this work, Madden hopes to highlight how these moments and the scenes are ever-evolving and on the cusp of becoming history. “London never stands still, change is constant, and several of the routes have been withdrawn. The stop in the Strand isn’t there anymore – that stretch of road is now pedestrianized. And misty windows aren’t what they were–buses are increasingly air-conditioned, and since Covid, passenger numbers are down. So what I did there is already becoming history.
Change is what happens when you’re looking the other way…
Steve Madden
The Grind is Steve Madden’s attempt to archive moments present in the rhythms of an average Londener’s daily life, as well as to capture certain aspects of the city that will vanish in no time. In many ways, the book is an archive of what we have and are losing out on. ‘Thanks to the endlessly fascinating, anonymous bus passengers of London, without whom there would be no book,’ he adds, talking about his subjects, who have unknowingly offered us a glimpse into a fraction of their long, adventurous life.
To purchase The Grind, visit Gost Book’s website.