Peter Granser: The American Dream


Tucked away in the heart of southwestern United States' Arizona is Sun City, a vibrant and exclusive community of senior citizens living off their retirement years. While the thought of old age might dampen the spirits of many readers, in this city it's only akin to getting your second wind as photographer Peter Granser discovered.



Sun City was developed in the 1960s, meticulously planned in the construction of its curved streets and level bungalows. It became a popular destination for retirees over the years and Del Webb, the developer, rapidly expanded into neighboring areas to cater to the growing demand.

It's here that Granser spent his time beginning in 2000 to document this microcosm of the elder America within America.




At first glance, these images appear to be rather comical and foreign, an impression that Austrian-born Granser must have felt upon entering this seemingly peculiar American metropolis; not only are there rows upon rows of standard one-level homes lined up on a seemingly endless street, they are all meticulously clean and they glow as if they were all constructed the day before.

Of course it's not the buildings and plants that make Sun City so special, it's the 40,000 residents who have had to wait until they were at least 55 years old in order to live in this community.




The old timers here are anything but about being old; from golf to synchronized swimming to lawn bowling to almost anything else you might imagine for recreation and relaxation, these guys and gals do it and have a blast while they're at it.




In many ways, Granser's photographs encapsulate the American Dream for many people, only that it focuses on the later years; the opportunity to enjoy your senior years after 20, 30 or 40 years of punching the clock at the office.

Granser's photographs aren't just a documentation of this retirement community, they are a celebration of life itself, a testament for later generations that youth is not a time of life but a state of mind.




Peter Granser's Sun City is collected in the appropriately titled Sun City. In addition, he has other books available from his other projects such as Peter Granser: Coney Island (Emanating) and Peter Granser: Signs, all photographs done in Granser's signature style.



Comments

  1. Those grands surely looks adorable :)

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  2. Grannies all over the place... Run for your life!

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  3. can't wait until my parents move there. they already live very close.

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  4. Great work on the blog! keep up the good content!

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  5. Wow that's like every senior citizens dream place to live! :D
    Lol at the bikini dress! :P

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  6. aww i love this! they shouldnt have to be stuck in a home when theres a paradise they can enjoy :)

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  7. It makes me think of a time where people can't reproduce.. Reminds me of some movie, but dammit, I've forgotten its name.

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  8. I imagine that place was McCain/Palin headquarters in 08! haha. It's kind of awesome to see them so happy in their old age....but im amazed they can survive because it's hot as fuck in Arizona.

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  9. Really embodies the American SouthWest

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  10. haha the last picture is awesome

    Sun City is much better than a retirement home that's for sure

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  11. Legs like that AND social security money rolling in! I might have to hit up Sun City.

    Seriously though I've been to Sun City and can think of very few places on Earth where I would enjoy myself less.

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  12. Ha, even the cops are old timers! Florida doesn't have anything on these folks.

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  13. Ya arizona is like 50% mexican and 50% retired people

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  14. That's crazy, a town of old people!

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  15. i bet i could eat all those hot dogs..

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  16. Looks like the town where they detonated the first atomic bomb or modelled on it but good pictures.

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  17. So each person is committed to a different circle of hell?

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  18. Fantastic pictures of American suburbia. I bet these folks are a terror on the road.

    That subdivision pic is my favorite. That was the epitome of the 1960s.

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  19. I had no idea a place like this existed.
    I don't really like old people to be honest... :/

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  20. I might have to check it out in 30 years or so :)

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  21. Haha, GREAT post, I love the deer rock lawn decor. I would totally retire in Arizona, I really like it there and the heat doesn't bother me, that's why you have a pool like the ladies having fun in the first pic.

    Dale :)

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  22. The last young girl looks beautiful ^^

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  23. this is pretty much what I think off when hearing about suburban America!

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