Urban Dirt Bikers

A new culture of young, inner city bikers has grown up over the past few years in the UK. Young men and women have taken to the streets on dirt bikes, quads and all manner of motorbikes to perform stunts. Often hidden in the mazes of industrial estates, where they won’t draw too much attention from the public or the police, riders will gather on weekends and perform wheelies and other ticks up and down a strip of tarmac. Clothing and attitude are as important as the bikes and the stunts. Photographer Spencer Murphy, who is continually interested in people who exist on the fringes of law and society, spent two years documenting these gangs of riders and quad bikers. 

This is book 4 from a series dedicated to the best urban photography from around the world. The books are similar to our grey-spined series but 20% bigger with cloth wrapped around the back. Even better!

Whatever their ride – dirt bikes, quads, mopeds – tearing up tarmac and pulling stunts on industrial estates or city streets is self-expression. In the face of the law and a hostile public, they are united by a passion and a way of life that few outsiders appreciate. Acclaimed photographer Spencer Murphy lifts the lid on London’s most misunderstood subculture, capturing the style and attitude of a movement that is life or death for its followers.

Spencer Murphy lives and works in London, dividing his time between personal projects and photographic commissions. He has contributed to many magazines, including The Guardian Weekend, The Telegraph Magazine, Time, Monocle and Wallpaper. His portraits have also appeared in such publications as Rolling Stone Magazine, GQ and Dazed and Confused. Murphy’s work was included in the National Portrait Gallery’s Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize exhibition 7 times between 2006 and 2013 when he was announced as the overall winner. His work is now held in the NPG’s Permanent Collection. 

http://spencermurphy.co.uk
https://www.hoxtonminipress.com