Distinct Americana

American narratives play out across the pages of Schude, a recent Roads Publishing release charting a decade of photographer Ryan Schude’s (b. 1979) practice. Theatrical tableaux relate the minutiae of suburban life, which fuses fairytale Gothic with a lurid, technicolour pop sensibility, in which moments appear frozen in time. Intimate stage-lit interiors vie for prominence with monumental scenes of the American outdoors, shrouded in mist or filtered through dusty streaks of light. These dioramas hark back to a golden age of advertising; their pervasive nostalgia is enriched by the humorous microelements and choreographed tension throughout. Schude’s work has featured in prominent publications such as Time and Esquire, and was awarded the prestigious Prix de la Photographie (2012) and the Gold Award from PX3 (2008). These images provide a glimpse into his irreverent vision, chronicled in full in the photographer’s inaugural monograph. www.ryanschude.com.