I’m not going to say that Steve Madden’s The Grind hits me deep; because it’s not hitting me at all. Instead, it’s not doing anything that violent vernacular can put into words. It’s speaking my particular dialect of photography in the same way that someone from North Carolina would understand another person who spent formative years in that state. We’ve interviewed a ton of great street photographers this year; but one who is truly standing out to me is Steve Madden. He combines the dream of Cartier Bresson with the aesthetic of Olga Karlovac and turns them into photographs that resembles baroque paintings. This aesthetic has really come into style in 2024; and we hope that it becomes pervasive throughout 2025.
The Grind is a very special photo book. First off, when you look at the cover, you’ll spot several numbers on the front. And truly, I have no idea what they mean. But it made me spend more time looking at the cover and trying to find patterns in the meaning. I couldn’t figure it out and eventually gave up.
Diving into the Grind, you’re treated to several pages that spell out THE GRIND with one letter per page. There’s no forward by the author, and instead, you’re thrust right into it. According to the publisher, Gost Books, here’s what the book is about:
The images were all made during the evening peak rush hour over the course of three winters. They capture a small snapshot of the 5 million bus journeys made in the capital city every day. Madden would spend the mornings on the radio for the BBC and then journey into Central London whenever it rained or if it was freezing cold late in the day. The bad weather would lead to condensation on the bus windows—familiar to many Londoners—and create the abstract scenes Madden wished to photograph.
Gost Books on the Grind, by Steve Madden
Bad weather makes for great photography — and it’s part of the reason why the Phoblographer’s equipment reviews are often taking weather resistance into major consideration. And the Grind is an excellent example of why it’s so great to go out into the rain to photograph.
The book contains some of the softest sheen that I’ve ever seen in a photo book’s pages. The feel of them don’t feel all very matte or glossy — instead, you probably won’t even notice the paper very much. Your eyes will be too busy being captivated by the work. Madden and the editors worked to place the images in a way where the light will bathe over them and make the reader’s eyes take in the pure saturation and inky colors we see. Madden isn’t simply taking the images and dialing the saturation slider in all the way. Instead, there is a specific pop to certain colors in the scene. This, combined with the haze in the scenes give us a sense of mystery and understanding that the entire commute is simply just a blur. If you’ve ever done this in a big city, you’re bound to not remember the look of every single person that you see walk by you. Our minds simply just tune it out and mostly focus on getting to your destination. That’s not to say that certain folks won’t catch your eye — but with Madden’s work, nearly everyone blends into one another.
At certain times, I often wondered if I was seeing an image split down the middle of the book fold. But instead, it seems to be that at times, the images are just so well blended together and strategically placed that we can’t tell.
Specifically this is what makes Madden’s book so fascinating. Droves of photographers have treated cities like a place where characters are to be put on display. In this way, they all follow in the footsteps of the great ogre the photography world has ever seen: Bruce Gilden. Of course, I say this in the same jest that Gilden would say as a native New Yorker. But his work is undeniably some of the most influential amongst modern street photographers. Where so many others that folks like Paulie B put these photographers in focus via shows like Walkie Talkie, Gost books is doing something completely different with Madden.
Madden is treating the people of London the same way that our minds naturally treat them — that’s to say that we forget about them in the face of hazy memories. Except in this case, we’re presented with an extravagant feast of people where we understand the beauty of the moment and then simply move on. It’s just like real life. However, the Grind is done in book format — and that makes us slow down and take every photo in like we would enjoy a slice of baclava properly instead of just shoving it all into our face.
Truly, in and of itself, the Grind is an exceptional piece of artwork. The Phoblographer is giving Steve Madden’s The Grind 5/5 stars, and the site’s Editor’s Choice award. It’s incredible, and we think it’s the best $65 you’ll spend on a photo book.
