The Polaroid Kidd – Ridin’ Dirty Face
April 16, 2008
“Her Sweet Perfume’s All Over Me.”
Mike Brodie aka “The Polaroid Kidd” is a somewhat accidental documentary photographer. By photographing his friends, their homes, and lifestyles, Brodie has captured a marginalized segment of the American population that’s not so prevalent in main stream society. His haunting photos of hobos, punks, and squatters criss-crossing the country in boxcars are reminiscent of Horace Bristol’s Grapes of Wrath era pictures that captured migrant workers on their way to California ….except now with facial tattoos. They’re truly amazing.
Pictures from Polaroid Kidd’s show at Needles & Pens Gallery
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 The dirty moniker of Mike Brodie smudged along the gallery wall |
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hello-
i’m a documentary photography student, and i was hoping to somehow get in touch with mike… the infamous polaroid kidd… is that possible? let me know. thanks!
-ann-marie
aslashm@gmail.com
Mike Brodie’s my hero.
great post!
hello brodie long time no see im just sittin here in roseville do you remember me i sure remember you just wondering how the worlds been for you if you like to drop me a line or come by i wouldnt mind till again byebye
What the hell happened to ridindirtyface.com? It should go back up, that site rocked…
again here i am in roseville come see me if you will ill keep a light on
Amazing
It looks like someone else made the same attempt and failed, but I just stumbled upon Mike’s work here and would kill to get ahold of him. I’m doing a documentary and he is my featured artist. If anyone happens to know how I could try to speak with him, let me know. Thanks.
- Courtney
what the fuck? You took off the picture of Smashley and I ridin suicide!
[...] Vivere il viaggio da vagabondo, da squatter, attraversano gli stati zaino in spalla e chitarra. Dormire dove capita tra case abbandonate, vagoni di treni merci, baracche, boschi, stazioni di servizio. Mangiare quando ce n’è, camminare in gruppo lungo le strade e respirare la puzza dell’umanità che prevale su quella della civiltà moderna. Incontrare nuovi compagni di viaggio e perderne altri. Sopravvivere felici, o almeno tentare. Queste sono le foto di Mike Brodie “The Polaroid Kidd” tratte da una sorta di documentario fotografico chiamato “Ridin’ Dirty Face”. Foto tratte da Girltears [...]
Brodie, are you at all concerned that you taking pictures just for the sake of your fame will over expose MY culture and lead stupid yuppie children to try and ride trains? Are you at all worried that YOU might Single Handily ruin traveling life for everyone?
I think you are horribly selfish to take your beautiful pictures to show for house people. Shame on you!
“house people”– that’s a riot! You don’t “your culture”. It’s a part of the collective history of a place and time belonging to all, and needing to be documented.
You don’t OWN “your culture”..what I meant to say.
its pretty lame getting famous off an underground culture, kinda ruins it. but i guess you should do whatever it takes to try and be of that culture. this is nearly as lame as that punk house photo book
I agree that exposing our traveling culture in this way is absolutely disrespectful. Wanting to document pictures of your friends for yourself and to share with your community is one thing, but displaying them to the public in bourgie art galleries,etc. is really upsetting and definitely a threat to our culture. While I’m sure it feels nice to get attention and appreciation for these photos; they are beautiful photos, I think its important to recognize that the potential negative effects of showing off our amazing culture outweigh any sort of fame/attention/wonderlust etc. that results. I’m sure you’ve heard this argument before but I’m just hoping you’ll reconsider what you’re doing, please.
Poverty, hunger, filth, violence and an early death are not that attractive to most people. Don’t waste your time worrying about your culture being voluntarily joined by the masses.
John Drabble, awesome reply
You left “wolfsong” Speechless. haha
So, when people look at National Geographic photos of hunter gather societies, they get the urge to also live that lifestyle? Also, if that is true, who cares? Why is that a big deal?
It does glamorize it a bit much and then take it into mainstream hipster culture. But, artistically, these photos are amazing.
I used to work on the travelling carnival circuit years ago,these amazing images take me right back to that.
And BTW: Its OUR culture, not just YOURS…
All of it, every nook and cranny belongs to each and every one of us… (Could it be you don’t like revealing what is behind the ‘curtain’ for fear of it becoming less special, ordinary even.)
These pictures are amazing – the perfect antidote to the consumer driven, technology crazy, world we find ourselves in. YOU do not have ownership of them, we all do…
Peace…
It’s more a tradition than a culture, people have been doing this for a long time, it’s not something people don’t know about – I think you should be more accepting of the fact that people, “house-people” or not, are going to be trying this and maybe even assimilating into the lifestyle; what’s so wrong with that? Shouldn’t everyone be entitled to experience adventure? You weren’t born on a train, why’d you start? How’d you start? And if you were born on a train or in a squat that would be an interesting story to hear too – or would your indulgence in the story also be an exploit of “your” culture?
yeah it is totally lame, i’m surprised you don’t feel shame when you take pictures of bumz, knowing you might make a bunch of $$$$$ out of em. then again, they are beautiful pictures, too bad you chose to be in good terms with yuppies and college studes over your own (?) people.
He might pick up a few bucks here and there off these photos, but it’s very doubtful he’s earning a profit off this work.
Getting along with different types of people isn’t a betrayal of anyone. Showing people a different way of living opens eyes and creates understanding of difference–that’s the real value of these images. If anything he’s sugar coating the lifestyle. I’ve lived homeless and I know there is a lot of bad stuff going on out of the public eye that Brody must have witnessed and probably photographed that he isn’t showing here.
I’m assuming when an Anthropologist visits a native land, and writes about their culture, and language, and not being ethnocentric, is a bad thing? There is nothing wrong with diversity, and understanding that people around the world are different, and should be understood, not feared, because they are different. The fact that my Sociology Professor, or anthropology professor provides lectures on other cultures, Providing photos, and video, or text, makes the professor a sell out? Please, use some common sense guys. Cultural relativism, education, expanding the mind.
What I’ve learned about traveling culture from reading these comments (granted, a small number of people from this culture are represented here, but it’s my only reference at this point):
You seem to look down on people who live in houses and people who go to college. You judge people you don’t know and fit them into stereotypes by labeling them things like yuppies, probably because of the way they dress or some other surface level observation.
Why do you have such a strong dislike for people who are different from you?
If you have specific issues with things like having a job or living in a house, going to college, etc, what are they? What’s the real reason you dislike these things?
I mean seriously. True a lot of people find these photos interesting and exciting, but it’s just paranoia to think that every yuppie who sees a picture of a kid on a train is gonna run to the nearest tracks and try to hop on the first thing that comes by. I think a lot of people find it interesting but realize they wouldn’t wanna be that dirty or risk losing their life/limb or whatever. Honestly, judging from a lot of the statements here, travel kids are just as elitist as the yuppies they so hate. Art is meant to be shared so get off your high horses.
I think your fears about this particular culture being exploited and so-called copied is something you don’t need to worry about. These pictures are so good for the rest of the world to see because it could help take away some of the layers of ignorance and/or complacency that so many people in this world have succumbed to. I think, if anything, people will see these pictures and hopefully realize that their specific way of life isn’t how everyone lives and that it is okay. There are people who live like the people in these pictures, and there are people who do not.
Some may tend to idealize this lifestyle from seeing these amazing pictures, true. But do you really think they are going to actually get up and give away all their belongings, quit their job, and break their lease the day after seeing these and start sleeping outside with the rest of the homeless around the corner? Doubtful….
I haven’t updated this blog in a long while, but since this is the only post that continues to gets comments, I thought I would weigh in.
I have to agree with Theon. As far as I can tell, these are just photos that someone took to capture a sub-culture. I really doubt that anyone would see these pictures and have more than a fleeting vision of what it would be like and leave it at that. It doesn’t bother me that these pictures are displayed and most likely sold for a profit, but that is just me, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Hell, he probably just needed some money, and it is his creativity property. Does this mean that he left everyone else behind, exploiting them as he faded away? I doubt it.
it’s just things like this make it harder to do things like this for many different reasons.plain and simple.
I don’t get it. I go to college, dress with a polo and khakis yet admire the hell out of this post-Keroauac/Steinbeck generation of youngsters in there 20s running around the country. Hell, I’ve planned my own summer long trip across country this year. But to label me as a yuppie or some stupid guido thinking frat boy is just ignorant. So I admire you for doing this, and I’ve debated over some time about doing the same thing. I plan to more or less travel a Chris Mccandless style of traveling(if some of you elitist travelers are as entitled as you think you are, you should know who he is).
I met some people who dress like this and were hitching down in Panama City when I was there for college spring break. Very interesting people. I stood outside the club for an hour just talking to them, listening to them sing and really getting a feel for how they live. It was awesome. One was ignorant to tell me I should give him money(I work at a fitness gym and bust my ass. I’m not giving crap to some guy telling me I SHOULD instead of..Just asking.). But it was really cool. A few were only 18! Some were in their 20s. They said what they do is awesome. A couple were from Texas, another girl from California.. It was just very interesting. You guys live a very cool lifestyle and noones trying to idealize it. I’m sure it’s hard. But it’s freedom. And isn’t that what some of us really want? Freedom? To feel what Bruce Springsteen sings about and Jack Kerouac wrote about?
RJ
ok there are alot of things to touch on. first of all amazing photography. second those of you who said he/she should be ashamed to sell them for money is like any artist or musician saying that getting money for their art is selling out. thats dumb he/she tooks these photos because they spoke to them and they have love for the art and obviously the culture. whats so wrong with making a living doing something you love i think that is what everyone in life strives for. and i dont think everyone that looks at these will run off and try it. but perhaps it may give an answer to those who have never been quite satisfied with their lives and have always wanted a different way but didnt think this way was real. it is something already popularized in movies but most dont know that these people are actually out there doing it. i am not part of that culture and i dont know if i would ever be though it is something i have seriously contemplated a few times. but i see no issue with this person taking these photos or even making profit off them. documentaries are ment to capture real life and thus be a tribute to it. these photos are a tribute to the people in them and the culture they belong to. enough said.
Seriously. I wagree with Wonderlust. Those (amazing!) pictures won’t make everyone just run outside jumping on trains and such. And why is there such a problem with documenting a sub-culture? There are way more sub-cutltures that have been documented than this one and I don’t see many complaints there?
Also who said that Mike is keeping all the monies to himself aye? The hobos he took pictures off, who said he didn’t give them some? What on earth yo, stop complaining so much and just take it easy.
Peace
Wonderful article. I’m currently researching Mike for an article I’m writing. I too am having trouble tracking down email &/or phone contact for him. If you are able to help, I would appreciate it.
It looked like the end of a stovepipe when the Atlanta yard bull pointed it at me and said, “Where ya goin’, son?”
I’d never seen a .45 before so I said, “Jacksonville, Boss.”
He said, “I’m gonna ask you again, son. Where ya goin?”
“Jacksonville, as soon as I can get outta the yard, Boss.”
“No listen, son. This is the last time I’m gonna ask you. Are you going to the mission on Corrier Street for some soup and a bed?”
“Yes, Boss. Straight to the mission and I ain’t hoppin no more freights outta Atlanta ever again, boss.”
Got all the soot off me at a sink at Corrier Street. Panhandled enough change for a bus a couple of miles out of town and hitched the rest of the way.
Summer of 1963 on my way from Madison, Wisconsin, to Miami to see my mom
[...] http://girltears.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/the-polaroid-kidd-ridin-dirty-face/ [...]
[...] Che altro fotografo emergente consiglieresti a noi di AWSM? Mike Brodie. In particolare la serie sui [...]
Met some of those in your pictures on my way to and fro!!! what did they get for your fame
Some of the comments here from what I can only imagine are young upper crust train hoppers with bad face tattoos are just hilarious. If anything ruined the train riding culture it’s elitist crap like that. I haven’t been on the rails in a few years now and it’s only because of a lot of the ignorant wasted fools I’ve met here lately, you idiots take the fun out of it, and make it more of a chore than anything by acting like morons and blowing up the spots.
Having said that I know Mike, and I love his photos. I have lived for years in one of the houses where many of those photos were taken, and we still have some of his original prints on our walls. Personally I think some of these fools are just jealous that they can’t take pics this good on their I-phones so they feel a need to mouth off.
I commented on this post years ago, and every now and again I get an email updating the thread. I think this is the longest internet conversation I have ever had… 3 yrs and counting.