Amazon Relic and Brooklyn Summertime by Joshua G Warren

San Francisco-based contender Joshua Warren photographs "portraits" of fire hydrants in-situ, creating a colorful taxonomy of this sidewalk staple. About his series, Joshua writes:

They are these funny, stubby, phallic warriors, yet they speak to our greatest fears. They are the last line of defense against losing all one's worldly possessions. They are conduits to a vast unseen subterranean aquatic network. They are the dashers of hopes of rock-star parking. They are like Facebook for dogs.

With an idea as charmingly simple as this, there is definitely strength in numbers; Josh has already captured forty-two fire hydrants in his series. The obsessive aspiration for completeness of such playful work reminds me of one of my favorite artists, Daniel Eatock, who photographs abandoned car batteries.

Car Batteries by Daniel Eatock

Joshua's statement about his fire hydrants works beautifully in the case of Eatock's work as well:

Despite their being mass produced, each one is unique... Because of their ubiquity, however, they are the kind of thing that you almost don't see at all... until you start really looking. At any rate, I find them really beautiful, hilarious and compelling.

Perhaps taking cue from Bernd & Hilla Becher's catalogical portraits of large-scale industrial structures, Josh brings his camera to the more equanimous street-level capturing an object familiar to all of us. His work is a light-hearted and unpretentious reminder to reconsider the way we see everyday objects without somber or pedagogical overtones. Head over to Josh's portfolio and take a look at all the rusty, silly, patriotic, and colorful fire hydrants that you've probably missed.