Shakedown
by Liam Kennedy
Liam Kennedy's SHAKEDOWN explores complicated themes of the leather-clad, violent and burly bikers, uncovering a tenderness and tribal approach to freedom in an uncertain world while reimagining the American pop culture narrative and the relevance of a new generation of bikers; many of whom embrace nonconformity and forge bonds with man and machine, often sacrificing life, limb and acceptance in exchange for their own authenticity.
"Drawing on a tradition of photojournalism documenting outlaws from Danny Lyon onwards, it updated the genre in a fresh and novel way, bringing vibrancy, humour, tenderness and a brutal honesty. I admire the dedication to the project, but most of all, wanted to know more about the subjects."- Sarah Gilbert (The Guardian) for the Daylight Photo Awards 2024
Artist Biography
Liam Kennedy is a photojournalist and documentary photographer based in Syracuse, NY. He began his career when he joined the Navy in 2012 and has since pursued a career in photojournalism after leaving the service in 2020, documenting events such as the tornado that ravaged Mayfield, KY as well as the war in Ukraine and working for clients such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Mother Jones. Kennedy has also documented the modern-day biker over the course of the last 10 years, riding and photographing more than 60,000 miles on a chopper he built with his friends, culminating in his first monograph SHAKEDOWN with Fall Line Press.
Shakedown by Liam Kennedy
Shakedown by Liam Kennedy
Documentary Photographer and Photojournalist Liam Kennedy's first monograph Shakedown is a documentation of the chopper culture over the last nine years.
Social Documentary Network describes it as "an evocative nine-year-long photographic journey capturing the essence of choppers and motorcycle culture that pervades the highways of America. Documented by Liam Kennedy who rode more than 60,000 miles on a chopper he built with his friends, SHAKEDOWN pays tribute to a subculture often misunderstood."