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InspirationPhotography

Photographer documents the back roads of America from Washington to Memphis

The architecture in Robert Götzfried's photography series Back Roads is unmistakably American. Wooden structures with tin roofs often painted in shades of pastel or white, hark back to a bygone era.

Written By:
Via direct submission

Via direct submission

The Munich-based artist shot the collection of images during a road trip from Washington DC to Memphis, Tennessee. Rather than take the interstate route he instead opted for the roads less travelled, uncovering some "amazing places" along the way.

"When I drove through the southern states of the USA I decided to avoid the interstates and travel on the back roads instead. I found amazing places in a world that only existed in the past, I thought. Obviously, I was wrong."

Götzfried is familiar with iconic architecture, having previously documented Australian homes and shops. He has also turned his attention to bus stops, cinemas, bowling alleys and train stations. He excels at transforming something that might be considered ugly into a thing of beauty.

Alongside photography, Götzfried is also a designer and lecturer. He is currently an associate professor in photography at Schule für Gestaltung in Ravensburg. To see more of his work, visit the website and Facebook page.

Abandoned roadside building with faded signage surrounded by overgrown vegetation and bare concrete forecourt under cloudy sky
Abandoned Coronado Stone building with weathered brown brick and stone facade beside a cracked rural road, with bare trees and power lines visible
A single-storey brick building with a green corrugated metal roof sits alone in a vast empty car park under an overcast sky
Abandoned modernist commercial building with large gridded windows, weathered cream facade and pink brick accent, surrounded by cracked asphalt and trees under cloudy sky
A dilapidated wooden house with a collapsed roof surrounded by overgrown vegetation and trees beside a rural road
Abandoned single-storey building with weathered wooden siding and peaked roof beside a rural highway, surrounded by overgrown grass and trees
Abandoned roadside shop with weathered white concrete base and corrugated metal roof beneath open sky in rural America
A white-painted garage building with "POFFS GARAGE" signage on its façade, situated beside a road with trees in the background and vintage vehicles parked outside
Weathered brick commercial building with large green-tinted windows and faded signage beside a quiet rural road, surrounded by trees and fields
Drive-in with vintage neon signage and weathered brick structure on an empty road in the American South
Abandoned white wooden house with boarded-up upper window and broken lower window, overgrown with vines, shot during daylight on a rural American back road
Weathered roadside diner with brown wooden exterior and tin roof, parked vintage cars in front, under blue sky with white clouds
Weathered stone storefront with boarded-up windows and faded signage alongside a rural road lined with trees
Weathered roadside diner with red and white paintwork and tin roof surrounded by trees along a rural American highway
Weathered roadside buildings with white and red facades line a cracked asphalt road beneath an overcast sky, with trees visible beyond
Abandoned white single-storey building with large garage door beside a rural road, surrounded by bare and green trees under a cloudy sky
Weathered white wooden building with tin roof and Amoco sign beside a road lined with mailboxes and power lines, surrounded by trees
Abandoned brick building with curved roof and large storefront windows alongside power lines and smaller structures on an empty road
Weathered tan car parked in front of white wooden buildings alongside a rural American road lined with trees
Weathered roadside garage with two dark doors sits amongst dense green trees, with a rusted vintage truck parked nearby
Abandoned white concrete gas station with large windows beside a dusty road, framed by forested hills in rural America
Abandoned white wooden chapel with black triangular roof beside a road lined with bare trees and power lines
Abandoned white-painted brick building with boarded windows, arched doorway and overgrown vegetation under clear sky
Weathered commercial building with distinctive peaked roof and "Feed & Seed" signage stands alone on dusty road beside parked truck in flat Texas landscape under blue sky with white clouds
Weathered brick shop building with white-painted wooden house beside it on an American back road, lined with power lines and mature trees
A row of single-storey motel units with brick and concrete facade facing an empty cracked parking lot, with trees and power lines behind
Weathered wooden building with a tin roof and covered porch, surrounded by bare trees in a rural American landscape
Abandoned single-storey commercial building with white wooden siding and weathered tin roof beside a wide rural highway, trees visible in background under blue sky
Builders Supply Market storefront with weathered wooden facade and tin roof, traffic lights and trees visible along an empty road
Weathered roadside sign for Cherokee Apartments with a faded Coca-Cola advertisement above it, set against forested hills under cloudy skies.
Weathered brick and wooden building with multiple doors and windows, bare trees behind, dirt ground in front
Abandoned Kats Car Wash building with red and white striped exterior surrounded by trees alongside an empty road
Weathered petrol station and garage with white wooden structures and tin roof, vintage pumps and cars parked outside on a dusty lot surrounded by trees
Abandoned blue and beige roadside building with open-sided structure surrounded by pine trees and overgrown vegetation along a quiet highway
Vintage American roadside garage with weathered brick building and service station, lined with trees under overcast sky along a rural back road
Weathered brick building with faded painted sign beside rural road, utility pole and trees visible under cloudy sky
Row of weathered brick buildings with a large tree and Coca-Cola sign along a quiet American back road
A weathered brick commercial building with multiple storefronts and large windows along a quiet American street
A roadside car wash building with red corrugated metal roofing and tan wooden structures fronting a wide empty street, surrounded by trees under a cloudy sky
Weathered wooden building with tin roof and multiple sections along a road, forested mountains visible in the background
Weathered wooden building with green metal siding beside an empty road, surrounded by trees in rural America
A weathered single-storey building with multiple grey roller doors and "Tiny's" painted on its dark roof, situated beside a quiet road lined with bare trees
Bright green wooden building with pink roof and boarded windows beside a rural road, surrounded by trees and utility poles
The Tire Mart, a weathered roadside garage with a white façade and tin roof, sits beside a paved lot with parked vehicles and trees in the background
Abandoned single-storey building with weathered terracotta roof, boarded windows and stone base, situated beside a bare concrete parking area with bare trees and power lines in the background
Abandoned red brick storefront building with boarded-up windows and doors, alongside an empty road lined with overgrown grass and sparse trees under a cloudy sky
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