max cameron’s photo book explores his fixation with the ‘traffic cones of japan’

‘Though there are many cones of different shapes and sizes, some created exclusively for different prefectures, this wasn’t an Ash Ketchum style journey of trying to catch ‘em all. I created a photo book of the cones that didn’t just make me stop, but made me feel,‘ the photographer explains.

all images courtesy of Max Cameron

appreciating simplicity and assertiveness

The cone’s simple shape and versatility paired with an its assertive authority intrigued Max Cameron to show appreciation and compassion to the pointy plastic objects. Although the name ‘traffic cones’ implies that these objects are concerned with traffic safety, the photographer’s book explores cones with different ‘jobs’, how they ‘experience’ their leisure time, and how some don’t fit into a safety cone’s typical qualities, which in a way shows their diverse personalities. ‘Forget robots, manga or sushi, the humble traffic cone outdoes them all in its ubiquity across Japan,’ states Cameron. The book was designed by Gareth Rowntree and features text written in Japanese by Takuro Kobayashi.

project info:

name: Traffic Cones of Japan
designer: Max Cameron

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.