Untethered from their original structure and location, these layered images span different graphic environments.

Orbs float in a spacial void or center opposing forces; diagonals intersect triangulated worlds; stark black and white unite in graphic harmony.

Tilting

Lifting

Straining

Bending

Pointing

Swooping

Angling

Watching

Hanging

Curving

Glimmering

Teetering

grey drizzle, dull day

though expectations high

for a winged canopy to rise unbound

10am…audience of three

heard faint music, soft and sweet

and stood bound

as a mighty bird awakened, arched high

lifting outstretched its white wings, ethereal, majestic

to the dull sky

'Brise Soleil' Santiago Calatrava

Milwaukee Art Museum

Much has been written about ‘The Color Red’ and its impact on ancient people, history and art. Metaphors abound and poetry swells with its symbolism.

Rarely, however, has architecture embraced its use in a prominent way, until recently. We now can enjoy the vibrancy of whole buildings wrapped in its hue, and large exterior and interior elements, sculpture included, enlivening our surroundings.

The Broad Museum in Los Angeles announces its strong geometrical form and presence, enticing the eye both from inside and out.

 The pierced honeycomb structure allows light to penetrate the interior, hitting, lifting, bouncing, elevating and illuminating with patterns, reflections and shadows, creating a shifting world of virtual art.  Daylight on the exterior surfaces creates yet another world, less subtle and less playful, as early morning passes to noon and beyond to dusk, twilight and night, which illuminates with distinction the myriad cellular indentations.

San Diego, the southern Californian coastal city, has seen a surge of growth in its downtown and nearby areas in the last 10 years, as the city pushes ahead to accommodate a younger, growing population. Areas such as the East Village, Little Italy, Bankers Hill, Hillcrest and beyond, reflect this growth, much of it haphazard, as condominium towers compete with each other for space, location and signature. Some have been deemed ‘Onions’; others, ‘Orchids’ by the voting membership of the San Diego Architectural Foundation. A notable aspect of some of this new architecture is color; bold reds, blues and yellow which inject a vibrancy into what otherwise may be considered ordinary.

Absent this color, these B&W images capture the boldness of design and juxtapositions of some of this 21st century architecture. One 20th century exception is included, and is notable for its dramatic, circular design: the Evan V. Jones Parkade, constructed in 1964.

irregular beats, strong then gentle

moments of color

shifting and slicing

in an improbable marriage

of soft and hard

tangible and intangible

locked in a rhythm

in the dark of night

from the ground

we stare in wonder

at the mighty, powerful and tallest

forever dissecting our horizontal space

creating shadows of cool relief

or gloom or sadness

that the skies that call

are forever further from our reach

‘Grand Canopy’, the name given to the large, white, swooping, shimmering portico, welcomes visitors to the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UCDavis.

But, more than welcome, on a clear day it creates myriads of ever-changing patterns and shadows on the ground and on the corrugated concrete walls; a textured delight of tonal variations; light playing games on the yellow vertical supports and piercing the tiny perforations of the aluminum/steel beams; an ever-changing theater of light choreographed by nature.

balconies small if at all

and views congested

by all the towers tall

expansion of glass mirroring

others in alienation

no sound of birds

or light flutter of leaves

in these urban spaces

where there are no trees

In this series, we see multifaceted fragments bouncing off reflective surfaces appearing as if in a kaleidoscope.

Patterns and movements are created by the dispersion of light, and are reminders of an impermanent presence, fractured by glass, metal, water and air.

Cohesive

One

Dauntless

Secure

Resolute

Intimate

Audacious

Luminous

Bonded

Grounded

Uplifted

Distinct

Cast from sky or sea

Intentional use is muted

Spectral color of lightness, hue, tint & shade

Provides a subtle and calming palette

‘Architecture should speak its time and place, but yearn for timelessness'.  Frank Gehry

Existing comfortably within the passage of time, these buildings exude permanence, while indicating the role they play in society, and the relevance of the materials and technology used.

The sites seen here were all built in the 20th century and have not yet stood the test of time.  However, I believe that the aesthetics of their form and structure, while appearing to dominate, are closely aligned to their function as museums, research institutes, concert halls and public spaces, and ultimately will lend them timelessness.

In this series, architectural details or forms, often geometric, are relocated in new environments, forming images which are independent of and have no reference to their original appearance.

As triptychs, they create a new visual narrative of similar or opposing elements. As they form new alliances and forms, certain images represent strength and bonding, as in the solid sphere upholding brutal angularity; others create a rhythm of repeating forms which retain a certain commonality. Both external and internal architectural elements are instrumental in creating these images.