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拍品专文
“I set out to trace the beginnings of our age via architecture. Pushing out my old large-format camera’s focal length to twice-infinity―with no stops on the bellows rail, the view through the lens was an utter blur―I discovered that superlative architecture survives the onslaught of blurred photography. Thus I began erosion-testing architecture for durability, completely melting away many of the buildings in the process.” - Hiroshi Sugimoto
Ethereal and indistinct, the colossal form of the Chrysler building emerges from the background of the image as if from a fog. Chrysler Building, 1996 forms a part of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Architecture series, a body of work that captures icons of modernist architecture in large-scale black and white photographs.
As both architect and photographer, Sugimoto invites the viewer to perceive this iconic and often-photographed building through his eyes, as an structure stripped down and abstracted into its essential elements of light and shadow. As the hard, clean lines are softened by a long exposure time, Sugimoto invites the viewer to question the seemingly eternal nature of these landmarks by questioning their own understanding of time. In the context of a human life, these structures may seem eternal, but with an expanded concept of time, these steel behemoths might become as ephemeral as a passing cloud. Despite the blurred nature of the image, the building retains its recognizable features, leaving Sugimoto to conclude that “superlative architecture survives the onslaught of blurred photography”.
The Architecture series highlights key themes in Sugimoto’s practice, primarily those of history, time, and human consciousness and perception. Presenting blurred images of historic buildings, Sugimoto combines the art deco architectural elements of his well-known movie theatre series with the sometimes foggy renderings of his seascapes. As calming as it is frustrating, Chrysler Building, 1996 challenges and thwarts the viewer, whose eyes wait for a resolution in the form of a focus that never comes.
Ethereal and indistinct, the colossal form of the Chrysler building emerges from the background of the image as if from a fog. Chrysler Building, 1996 forms a part of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Architecture series, a body of work that captures icons of modernist architecture in large-scale black and white photographs.
As both architect and photographer, Sugimoto invites the viewer to perceive this iconic and often-photographed building through his eyes, as an structure stripped down and abstracted into its essential elements of light and shadow. As the hard, clean lines are softened by a long exposure time, Sugimoto invites the viewer to question the seemingly eternal nature of these landmarks by questioning their own understanding of time. In the context of a human life, these structures may seem eternal, but with an expanded concept of time, these steel behemoths might become as ephemeral as a passing cloud. Despite the blurred nature of the image, the building retains its recognizable features, leaving Sugimoto to conclude that “superlative architecture survives the onslaught of blurred photography”.
The Architecture series highlights key themes in Sugimoto’s practice, primarily those of history, time, and human consciousness and perception. Presenting blurred images of historic buildings, Sugimoto combines the art deco architectural elements of his well-known movie theatre series with the sometimes foggy renderings of his seascapes. As calming as it is frustrating, Chrysler Building, 1996 challenges and thwarts the viewer, whose eyes wait for a resolution in the form of a focus that never comes.