Mile O' Mud: The Culture of Swamp Buggy Racing by Malcolm Lightner

A native Floridian, photographer Malcolm Lightner's first monograph, Mile O’ Mud, reveals his home’s beauty; scarred and raw, surrounded by lush, blue sky and restorative greens, and a community unapologetically celebrating their colourful and unique history. Churning the buttery muddy water at the Florida Sports Park, the swamp buggy races keep Florida’s frontier heritage alive. The custom buggies are part boat, part dragster.

Malcolm Lightner grew up down the street from the original “Mile O’ Mud” swamp buggy track. After moving to New York in 1999, he returned at least once a year from 2002 to 2013 to document the races – missing only 2005 due to a cancellation as a result of a hurricane.

About Malcolm Lightner

Malcolm Lightner is a photographer who works and resides in New York. Born in 1969 in Naples, Florida, he is a fourth generation native Floridian. Lightner has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants and his work has been featured in a range of exhibitions including Art + Commerce Emerging Photographers and NYPH (New York Photo Festival). Lightner’s photography is included in the permanent photography collections at the Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona Beach, Florida. His work has appeared in Dear Dave, The Oxford American, VICE, Slate, American Photo, Aint-Bad and Life, among other publications. Lightner is a member of the photography faculty at the School of Visual Arts in New York City since 2002.