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The Taxi Chronicles: Joseph Rodríguez’s Unique Journey Through 70s and 80s New York

Between 1977 and 1987, Joseph Rodríguez navigated the thoroughfares of New York in a rented taxi in order to finance his photographic studies. His unique perch inside this mobile observation post allowed him to take snapshots of the city’s vibrant street life and varied passengers; from night revelers to close-knit family units in their Sunday finest.

For a decade, Rodríguez’s taxi crisscrossed the city. It was in this remarkable vantage point afforded by his rented yellow vehicle that he was able to capture the multifaceted tapestry of New York City, from its upscale boulevards to its underprivileged neighbourhoods. He daily witnessed an array of characters; businessmen, models, families, sex workers, and individuals experiencing homelessness.

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The taxi that Rodríguez chauffeured for a decade was not just a means to fund his studies in photography, but also a valuable platform for his first creative series and the launchpad for a distinguished career centered mainly on marginalized societies.

Rodríguez, who now is 73 years old, hails from a complicated familial background in Brooklyn, a past he longed to leave behind. The portrayal of the city’s streets, steeped in diverse experiences including his own encounters with drug addiction and incarceration, have deeply influenced his artistic expression.

The time during which he shifted gears to becoming a taxi driver marked a transformative period in Rodríguez’s life. After finding himself behind bars, he chose to sever ties with his past misdemeanours, conquered his battle against heroin and embarked on an academic journey.

His daily routines took him across the city’s streets from 4 am until 4 pm, persisting through a New York of the 70s and 80s mired in economic downturn, prevalent crime, and escalating racial disparities.

Gaining insights into a broad cross-section of societal joys and struggles through his vantage point in his yellow taxi, Rodríguez became a silent observer and listener to stories from diverse social strata.

The taxi he drove became more than just a vehicle; it transformed into a platform for narratives and a silent confessional. As Rodríguez pens in his work Taxi: Journey Through my Windows, 1977-1987, ‘A cab becomes a place to hear stories. It also becomes like a psychiatrist’s office. People have so much to tell you,’ reflecting on the wealth of human experiences he was privy to.