ABSTRACT ARCHITECTURE
This is an ongoing series which I will continually update within this project as new works are created.
Circumspect
Pattern of Decline
Plume-Abated Towers
Warp
Lien
Paramount
Stigma
Zipper
Path of Light I
Modern Pyramid
Path of Light II
Iron butterfly
Tessellation
Triangularity
Signs of Life
Sky Dive
Corrugated Pyramid
Owl
Grater
Three Corners
Untitled
Web
Concavity
Ribs
To the Point
Tiki
Ribs 2
Twice Pipes
Wing
I began this project in 2013 as a way of focusing my work and developing my vision as a fine art photographer. Prior to this series my photography was all over the place in terms of style and subject matter.
One day I asked myself, "Why am I making photographs?" While reflecting on this question I realized that my natural inclinations have always been towards fine art and personal vision rather than creating or competing for commercial purposes. I've never desired to make a business out of my photography.
In light of this revelation I decided that I needed to put some serious effort into developing my vision. I figured that the only way I will make an impact in the art world is to have a more coherent portfolio of images that show the world how I see.
Around this time I also began to notice, while making casual snapshots with my iPhone (i.e., when I wasn't really trying that hard), a natural preference for abstract and minimalist composition. I now believe this is a direct result of my years spent studying and working as a graphic designer. It took me a while to connect the dots and realize that, if I am doing this without thinking about it, it's probably a very natural expression of me, coming from my subconscious, and I should probably let it out and become better acquainted with it. It was when I consciously began to explore this aesthetic that I began to be truly inspired and make images I was really proud of.
In the beginning of this series I made the choice to stick with a square format since I had originally discovered my preference for this subject matter and style when using the Instagram app on my iPhone (which also focuses on the square format). A few images into the series I made another decision to work solely in greyscale to further give the portfolio visual harmony as a body of work.
Recently I have also incorporated long exposure techniques, adding physical movement to my images and, hopefully, a new level of complexity. I have enjoyed the ethereal ambiance that the moving sky adds behind my interpretation of various architectural structures. It may sound contrary to talk about minimalist simplicity in compositional design and then simultaneously say I'm going for complexity of content but that really is what I'm striving for. I want my overall design to be clean, minimal and timeless, but I also want it to unfold into something more as the viewer spends time engaged with each image. I'm seeking elegance.
Elegance, to me, is giving the illusion of simplicity while solving complex problems. I don't know that I've yet achieved that in this portfolio of images, but I am actively working towards it. Architecture is my subject matter but my photographs are not about the architecture. Each image here is a study of abstract elements such as shape, space, form, line, rhythm, etc. Each image is an experiment in how to interpret and distinguish those elements in the tones of a monochromatic image and use them to lead the eye within a square frame.