Architecture

[ form : function | past : present ]

My fourth and largest collection to date. Here, I explore the relationship between structural form and function. I capture architectural analogies through a lens of time, observing structures from ancient to modern times… We start in a dream space, where (1. “Imagination is the Limit.”) Highlights include onlookers peering up to lofty ceilings, with (2. “Glowing Chambers,”) and (3. “Geometric Windows”) lighting the interior. Here, a large aquatic skeleton hangs, suspended as an (4. “Ancient Beast in Modern Times.”) Stepping outside, a pair of buildings are mirrored in presentation, one old and one new. Coexistence is key, when (5. “Soho Lofts”) hundreds of years old stand close by to (6. “DUMBO Modern”) constructions. But with every glass facade comes the risk of (7. “Shattered Dreams.”) I leave the city and enter an abandoned resort, peering in through two cracked windows. A reflection of a tree is seen overlayed on top of graffiti, rubble, and (8. “Poetically, a Flower”) on a web of vines. A sign of good times past. Moving through the decrepit space, a (9. “Cavernous Hall”) is strewn with various construction materials. In the next room, I find myself working with two cameras, (10. “Filming in an Elevator Waiting Lobby,") where a patterned carpet is strewn with sharp glass, fallen ceiling panels, and a discarded bed. Marble walls crumble beside me. A space that once welcomed vacationers of the past, now had me dodging exposed nails and razor edges. A challenge! But enough work, let’s take a vacation! Flying overseas to Italy, the (11. “Corridors of Venice”) beckon me onwards, and there are new gems to be found down every canal, like this (12. “Hotel on the Water”.) The beautiful format of this front door also has a timeless function: to welcome boating as transportation. Guests step off gondolas right into the lap of luxury. Moving south, we arrive to the magnificence of the Roman forum. Pillars older than most structures on earth stand strong against the elements, and the power of ancient culture is projected over throngs of modern tourists. Two classical columns stand out. On the left, (13. “Ionic”) type, and on the right (14. “Corinthian”) style. These structural forms represent the might of the Roman Empire, but also serve functionally as an important meeting place for diplomacy, trade, culture and art to flow. Even today, we still call upon similar designs to grace modern construction. These are quite literally, pillars of society as we know it. Traveling south to Florence, quiet streets are lined with (15. “Creeping Vines,”) and sometimes they obscure (16. “Hidden Door”s.) But not all structures are private. In Kibera, corrugated iron sheets and bricks are built into a (17. “Makeshift City”) housing a quarter million people, all packed onto a hillside. Red and orange earth tones dominate the architecture, but local artistry impressed me with a (18. Rainbow House.”) that burst with color and happiness. (19. “Brick”) and stone is a common building material here because of its strength and value. I arrive back in New York and stroll down (20. "A Quiet Street in Vinegar Hill") where Belgian blocks pave the way to mid 1800’s merchant houses. The stones are beautiful to see but primarily served to grip horse hooves, long since departed. This landmarked area is full of hidden gems, and requires a walk away from downtown. Often times, I find the most interesting places just off the beaten path. I spend hours wandering, and I am rewarded with (21. “Lonely House”s) and (22. “Peaceful School Courtyard”s.) But the path is not always pretty. Chain link fences block my way and industrial expansion casts a grey shadow over neighborhoods. Here, is where guerrilla artists shine. I use selective masking to saturate certain areas of the next three images. There is always beauty to be found, you just have to know where to look. In one unsigned piece painted on a wall at the Atlantic Rail Yard, a rainbow creature with arms wide open, reassures the viewer that (23. “You Belong.”) Close by, an (24. “Orange Cone”) sits on its side at a construction site. This image represents the transitional states between inception, construction and completion of a new structure. When that transition is finished, a (25. “Futuristic City”) can be the result. The next ten images are in this futuristic city. Some are shot in-, and others are converted to black and white to eliminate distractions and focus on the raw architectural format. So on that note, the next ten images will stand on their own without description. If you’ve made it this far, thank you! You must be enjoying my work. Click the “Contact” button at the top, and you can reach out to me with questions, comments, and ways to acquire these images. Digital Backgrounds are FREE! Customized Prints are for sale. Photo commissions and sessions also available. ~ 26. “Shadow in the Sky,”  27. “Steel Lattice,”  28. “Support Beams,”  29. “They Will See You Now,”  30. “Geometric Tessellation,”  31. “Nighttime in the Lower East Side,”  32. “Union Station and Bayfront,”  33. “Power Projected,” and 34. “Passing Through.”  

But wait, there’s more! The next two color images represent wholistic street scenes. Often times when shooting architecture, I try to eliminate human presence to focus on the inanimate subject, but sometimes, people just make the shot better. In (35. “Leaving the Bank”) a man stands with a briefcase in hand on the corner in front of a large bank. People walk about their daily lives, cars drive, and other street objects complete the stage. In (36. “SoHo Street Scene,”) there’s an incredible amount of detail. Every time I look at it, I see something new. I see the different shades of facade overlaid on each other. Then there's the captivating, jumbled, modern “jenga” tower behind. There’s spires and towers, lamps, scaffolding, cobbled streets, signs, greenery, workers, and people with shopping bags headed in different directions. Something resonates with this one. It’s so full of life, and yet, so ordinary. Just a brief snapshot in time. But everything must come to an end, and so will this collection. In (37. “It’s All Coming Down,”) a support pillar crumbles in an abandoned building. On it, a face painted with crossed eyes of death. It knows this building won’t last long. So watch your head!

- NDM

6/1/2022

© 2017-2022 Nicholas DeWeese Marshall