World of Speed: Daring Men in Home-Made Racing Machines

In his group of works World of Speed, Johannes Huwe, in his own inimitable style, captures images of the unique world of speed freaks in the Great Salt Lake Desert, in northern Utah. The salt lake El Mirage can be found 16 miles north of Highway 18, where all roads end. This is a deserted and surreal place in the Mojave Desert, with daytime temperatures of 45 degrees. Although seething with rattlesnakes it was still the perfect location for films like Terminator 2 and Lethal Weapon. Land Speed Racer is the name given to those daring men in their home-made racing machines. This kind of racing is the last motor sports bastion still in the hands of amateurs. The participants of the races are diverse, ranging from simple car mechanics to millionaires who arrive in the desert with their truck and a whole team.

Capturing the event presents a particular challenge to photographer and equipment. Heat and dust take their toll on both. The world as a picture interests the artist; the gleaming chrome surfaces of cars, racing in the salt desert, or the aesthetics of New York daily life. His style ranges from documentary accuracy to surreal, constructed scenes. The pictures of World of speed were shoot with a medium format Hasselblad camera.