By Ruby Love
Evergreen’s Galerie Fotoland is playing host to a gorgeous series of wild, mud-splattered portraits by photographer Ryan Richardson. Richardson, who is also the Photography Lab Manager at Evergreen (woo!) shot the series of portraits of cyclists after the 10th anniversary of SSCXWC, or the Single Speed Cyclo-cross World Championships.
SSCXWC is known for its mix of “performance art and conspicuous consumption of alcohol” in addition to its focus on the actual race. When the Championships returned to Portland for the 10th anniversary, carrying the mouthful of a title SSCXWCPDX, Richardson knew he wanted to attend and spend some time photographing the competitors. Instead of the usual in-action shots, Richardson opted for a pop-up portrait studio to catch individual riders in their post-race state of exhaustion and euphoria. The crisp, bright lighting and backdrops Richardson chose for the series contrast beautifully with the grimy, mud-splattered outfits (and sometimes faces) of his subjects.
The exhibit consists of large prints as well as grids of smaller-size portraits, providing an interesting variation in the viewer’s relationship to the size of each face. First, massive portraits loom larger than life. Then, smaller faces form neatly-gridded crowds, staring out at the viewer.
In addition to his full-time work as Evergreen’s Photo Lab Manager, Richardson has an active photography career. His current work centers around “outdoor-life and adventure based photography and video.” You can find more of Richardson’s work on his website, singletrackmediaworks.com or on his Instagram, @Singletrack_Media_Works.
Ryan Richardson’s SSCXWCPDX closes April 10, so catch it soon!
