A circle is a symbol of unity, eternity, and harmony. When used in a photograph, circular elements give a sense of unity and evoke feelings of serenity and timelessness. An image with circles is usually a restful one.
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What is it that attracts photographers to capture so many doors and windows? Is it because they stand out from the rest of the building? Is it something less conscious, being drawn to exits and entrances as offering adventure (or a way out)?
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I enjoy photographing architecture in black and white, especially more modern architecture. So here is a selection of architectural images, most relatively new (that is, twentieth or twenty first century).
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Of course a trip to Madagascar is always going to be focused mainly on its unique wildlife. Endemic species such as lemurs and chameleons will be top of everyone’s must-see list, ours included. But sometimes it’s nice to take a break from these and to see something of the island’s human population and their culture.
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Old Town is not, somewhat to my surprise, the old heart of Chicago, but rather one of its neighbourhoods. It takes its name from art fairs held in this area in the 1940s, ‘Old Town Holidays’. However, it is certainly home to many buildings older than most in the city. There are Victorian era houses and even one of just seven buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
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The mass production of inexpensive steel in the mid 19th century made it possible for urban planners to bring to life the idea of skyscrapers. And it all started in Chicago. The method had been tested in Liverpool, England, on the five storey Oriel Chambers building. But it was in Chicago that the capacity of steel to support taller buildings was first exploited.
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I suspect that, like me, you have never heard of Albert Khan. Yet in his time (1860-1940) he was very influential. A banker and philanthropist, he dedicated his fortune to the service of knowledge, harmony between people and progress. He amassed a huge collection of photos which he called the Archives de la Planète and used them to open up the world to people with the aim of promoting pacifism and understanding.
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As one of my abiding memories of Chicago will be of the architecture, especially the variety in age and style of its skyscrapers, I can’t help but agree with Frank Gehry. He said of the city that, 'Chicago’s one of the rare places where architecture is more visible'.
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My interest in Frank Lloyd Wright was sparked by Paul Simon's song on 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. Over the intervening decades I’ve seen many images of his buildings, read a bit about them, and visited one, the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. But only one.
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I have long been fascinated by the roofs of the far east. The ornate figures that line the top edges if a Chinese roof. The intricately carved end tiles of a Japanese temple roof. The delicately painted beams that hold them up. And the steep temple roofs of Indochina.
