Combis de México

The classic VW bus, or Combi as it is known in Mexico, is a rarity in most developed countries, yet in the rest of the western world they are still serving a purpose, whether it is utilitarian or as a collector’s item. With this series, I am exploring a personal interest in repetition as a way of creating something new. Since 2019, I have photographed 140 unique Combis in Mexico City and small towns nearby. As a body of work, the repetition creates an effect beyond the individual characteristics of each photo, offering a stimulating visual experience, and becoming a larger story of an object that has had a long history, and a region distinguished for the creativity, endurance, and diversity of its inhabitants. I’ve intentionally created this series using a phone camera, mostly for practical reasons as my encounters with these subjects is for the most part coincidental. This has allowed for each photo to have geolocation data which produces a map showing the location where each photo is taken. As a way of concluding the project, in the next year I will intentionally visit chosen neighborhoods and towns where I have not photographed.