I have always fascinated the way people move through places. Having lived in various cities around the world, people commute in unique ways. This adds to the character of a place. Cities are different depending on the transport you choose.
In this series I explored this. I photographed all these images while living in Chicago. During this time spent a lot of time cycling in the city and sometime on the “L”; the elevated train transport.
While riding you are in the city. The sites, sounds and smells breath life into a place. Over time you develop an intimate knowledge with the streets. You feel the city's heart beat because you are its veins. Like being a red blood cell moving from wherever you are to wherever you need to be. And when you look around at everyone else, they are all the same.
Stepping into a train and the city remains outside. Especially in Chicago where trains are warm inside. Most of the time you are above off the streets. You get a different perspective. It's a voyeuristic experience to look at people below and into the apartments as the train rides past. I got these brief glimpses of people and places with out ever being a part of it. It's mysterious. I kept seeing figments of unfolding stories. Knowing what happened before and after the exact moment. I was witness to incomplete stories. I can know what happened before and after the exact moment.
The train stops. The doors open. People standing at the door walk out. New faces walk in. Some find seats. The doors close and the train moves. Its eternal. With this rhythm going all that changes are the people you share your space with. Their faces have clues about how their day is going. what people are listening to or what they are reading? Some people speak on their phones as if no else is around. It's fun to listen to the one sided conversations going on. Millions of people daily share these confined spaces and fleeting moments. It makes you feel like you are doing something significant, instead, we all are getting around.
Bruno Poco
