# Car Crash Photography The 'Car Crash Studies' Photo Series Finds Visual Beauty in Crashed Vehicles By Rahul Kalvapalle | Published 2014-05-17 | Autos Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/car-crash-studies References: [featureshoot](http://www.featureshoot.com/2014/05/nicolai-howalts-photographs-crashed-cars-find-beauty-terrible/) & [nicolaihowalt](http://nicolaihowalt.com/works_show_thumbs.php?car_crash_studies) Car Crash Studies is an imaginative if slightly grim photo series that comprises [close-up photos of crashed cars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vehicle-damage-assessment). The series is the work of Danish photographer Nicolai Hoewalt. At first glance, the images appear to comprise [beautiful abstract photos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paul-anthony-smith) or paintings. However as you scroll through the images, you come across photos of destroyed car interiors, making it apparent that the beautiful 'abstracts' you were looking at are in fact close-ups of the [destroyed metal exteriors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nick-valentijn) of crashed cars. Car Crash Studies is an exercise in how the consequences of unquestionably terrible and traumatic events can be artistically portrayed in a manner that isn't grossly disturbing and doesn't necessarily compel you to look away. The photos were recently exhibited at the Martin Asbaek Gallery in Copenhagen. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.1/10 - Popularity: 51% | Activity: 34% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Artistic Photo-documentation:** Providing artistic documentation of traumatic events such as accidents. - **Finding Beauty in Tragedy:** Identifying ways to find beauty in situations or things that are traditionally considered tragic or unpleasant. - **Uses of Disaster Imagery:** Exploring different ways of using imagery related to disasters or accidents for creative purposes. ### Where This Applies - **Art:** Opportunities in the art industry to utilize non-traditional subject matter or media in the creation of artwork. - **Photography:** Photographers can push beyond traditional subject matter and use visually striking, unconventional imagery. - **Marketing & Advertising:** Brands can leverage unconventional, thought-provoking imagery to reach and engage audiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Beautiful Automotive Design Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/benecict-redrove-auto-photo-manual.md) - [Crystal-Adorned Crushed Cans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sam-keller.md) - [Decayed Car Playsets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hot-wheels-x-daniel-arsham.md) - [Photography Project Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/still-life-1.md) - [Explosion-Damaged Sculpture Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/light-into-darkness.md) - [Dynamic Car-Themed Structures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/veiled-porsche.md) - [Broken-Aesthetic Sculpture Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/brokenaesthetic-sculpture-collection.md) - [Generative Art-Wrapped Cars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kaoru-tanaka.md) - [Industrial Architecture-Themed Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/industrial-archaeology.md)