Christopher Anderson's poignant photographs of New York City cops

Bomb blast barriers went up, cops began to carry larger guns, and whilst the increased presence of security was designed, in part, to make New Yorkers feel safe, it reminded Anderson that something was deeply wrong.

Then, following the rise of Occupy Wall Street, the death of Eric Garner and the election of Trump, Anderson's series, Cop, became even more intense. On assessing the images he was making, he began to see them as something entirely different than a protest or commentary on power – there was almost a sentimentality.

"I saw a portrait of a working class, immigrant America. The uniform only served as a thread on which to hang a cross-section sample. The photographs felt more like a love letter to New York," Anderson remarks.

Christopher Anderson was born in Canada and grew up in Texas. He first gained recognition in 1999 when his poignant images of the rescue of Haitian refugees taken onboard a sinking wooden boat won him the Robert Capa Gold Medal. His previous book Approximate Joy was widely regarded as one of the best books of 2018.

His series, Cop, is now available in a new photobook, published by Stanley/Barker.