simon davidson uncovers the overlooked artistry of high-horsepower burnouts

cars consumed by colorful plumes of smoke are the subject of australian photographer simon davidson’s series, ‘burnouts’. these high-horsepower maneuvers see a vehicle remain stationary while its wheels wildly spin, causing the tires to quickly heat up and fiercely smoke. rather than focusing on the ordinary response to these loud and chaotic circumstances, davidson seeks to capture the otherwise overlooked beauty in their occurrence.

saturated shades of pink, purple, orange and blue envelop each car in a thick veil of vapor. ‘amongst the bombastic chaos of a burnout, tranquility exists,’ davidson says. ‘hidden from the conscious self, these zen like moments are only revealed by the slicing of time. the immediate reality for a sideline spectator of a high horsepower burnout is vastly different from what I’m searching for. burnouts are loud, acrid and the air is thick with smoke and tyre dust. in my burnout series I am looking to explore beauty where it’s not immediately obvious.’

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