Fifty Cents a Ride documents Melanie Royster’s deep reverence for New York City through portraits of the spirited Kiddie Rides that inhabit its sidewalks. The artist started taking portraits of the rides in 2014, traversing through neighborhoods to capture the curious juxtaposition of their playful colors and stoic expressions. Frozen in time and chained in front of corner stores and local markets, each ride offers itself as a fleeting fantasy, a child’s dream, or a prize from the faded past. The rides tell the story of the neighborhoods where they live through their interactions with the people around them.
_Fifty Cents a Ride _takes a fresh look at the layered complexities of New York City’s vibrant multicultural landscape through the obscure gaze of the almost forgotten Kiddie Ride.
