Peter Funch made the series 42nd and Vanderbilt over the course of nine years. From 8:30am to 9:30am, he stood on 42nd Street, across from New York’s Grand Central Station, photographing the flow of people at this crowded intersection in midtown Manhattan. Eventually, Funch captured the same individuals on different days. He then paired up the images, revealing the repetition of daily routines such as listening to headphones, drinking coffee and smoking, as well as more subtle recurrences of dress, gesture and facial expression. By applying the simple parameters of photographing in the same place and time, Funch transforms a seemingly endless sea of faces into a succession of highly specific portraits of individuals. The series takes an original approach to the tradition of street photography and offers a slice of everyday early 21st-century dress and habits.

Born in Denmark in 1974, Peter Funch lives and works in New York.