Carpoolers #17

 Born in 1977, Alejandro Cartagena’s photographs – whether urban landscapes or portraits – bring social and environmental issues to the forefront. These four photographs from the “Carpoolers” 2011-2012 series evoke the experiences of workers is Northern Mexico, where Cartagena is based. Over one year, he photographed pickup trucks from a Highway 85 overpass, documenting trades workers’ commutes from Monterrey to San Pedro. The riders lay low in different color flat-bed trucks, sometimes surrounded by the equipment needed for their jobs, often covered in blankets. While reading or resting, the workers endure a dangerous 45 to 90 minute commute depending on traffic – they live where housing is affordable and work in a wealthy suburb that is not accessible by public transportation. Cartagena’s compelling visual storytelling draws attention to the urban development crisis in contemporary Mexico, calling into question larger socio-economic inequities.