Travelling over four states within three weeks, in a truck and on two motorbikes, James and Ed Pecis, Ryann Bosetti and Niall O’Brien set out to explore the North West of America “pitching up our tents before dark wherever we found suitable,” tells
Travelling over four states within three weeks, in a truck and on two motorbikes, James and Ed Pecis, Ryann Bosetti and Niall O’Brien set out to explore the North West of America “pitching up our tents before dark wherever we found suitable,” tells O’Brien. Collaborating with McQ on their S/S11 collection, O’Brien took with him “only a bag of product and no real direction other than to create and to honestly document the journey.” The result is a series of photographs that perfectly capture the spirit of youth and adventure inherent within O’Brien’s aesthetic and synonymous with the McQ brand. Adding to the experience, McQ Tumblr will be releasing each photograph one by one on the site over the coming weeks, telling the story of the images and road trip. The first completed project O’Brien has executed since Good Rats in February 2010, Porn Hurts Everyone will be exhibited later this year.
Niall O’Brien: “Driving 6000 miles in three weeks isn’t an incredibly easy trip, even when planned two years in advance. We slept in tents and spent 70% of the time in the cab of the oversized truck we borrowed from fellow traveller Ed Pecis (James’s Dad, who resides in Weed, California). Regardless, we were always smiling and had one of the best adventures of our lives. I guess this project was a selfish exploration and introduction to a continent I love so dearly but didn’t really know. Before leaving I knew I wanted to find something to concentrate on and document – Christianity was one and the other was the bonding father and son, Ed and James, were taking on after the death of Ed’s father a year previously. Subtly touching on both, by way of it being there all the time, the photos took a course of their own due to the organic approach we took to the adventure.
The idea of summer breaks, drinking beers, diving off rocks by small towns was everything I had hoped for. I got to meet a lot of different kids at campsites, riverbanks and in fairs from California to Idaho. Without using any form of itinerary other than a rough direction and what Ed recommended, anything discovered along the way seemed to be a bonus. The feeling of luck when meeting an interesting group of kids or random preacher who just happened to be there at the same time was second to none. Serendipity was a word thrown around a lot. The Christian element isn’t obvious in the work but it was constantly there, not always visual. In a way everything reverted to the fear of God and almost everything was labeled Christian, from all the bands in the Boise state fair to the 'Porn Hurts Everyone' sign in the yard opposite an adult store in Newport, California. Completely observational and not at all critical, I realised the importance of belief and opinion in small towns and rural America. There are some influenced opinions in USA for sure, but the people I came across were inspiring and craved to know about us and from where we had come. Their lust for information outside of the United States was intense, I just hope they get to do what they dream of. We just did.”
Introduction by Lucia Davies
