Category: Architecture

Toby Keller’s White Series

California and Chiang Mai based photographer and designer Toby Keller has created this quite stunning minimalist series of white photographs. Beautifully executed, the White series is primarily focused on underground car parks and coastal lines, illustrating serenity and spaciousness.

I find there is such a calming effect browsing this series, which is perhaps surprising because in reality, calmness is not exactly something that is typically associated with a car park, for instance. Yet, it is here, which is testament to Keller’s work.

Perhaps equally beautiful and inspiring, is his Black photographic series. Enjoy.

(un)defined spaces

Matthias Schade was born in 1984 in Berlin, Germany. His latest work is a series of photographs named (un)defined spaces – an investigation of urban space. An investigation of our living environment.

Schade explains the concept behind the series:

Contrary to the daily natural perception of urban space, my artworks of the (un)defined space series offer a directed and focused view on our surroundings. They invite the beholder to critically and consciously face its environment. It is not about a mere documentation of our environment but rather the chance to question things and to create new experiences.

The young artist has been shortlisted for the Celeste Prize 2011 within the photo, digital graphics category back in November 2011.

I love these very minimal and undefined photographs.

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Nonspace

Nonspace is a series of photographs by UK-based photographer Emily Grundon. According to Emily:

This work depicts several sites that are all considered to be successful and established exhibition spaces - constructed with the sole intention of displaying works of art. Nonspace not only aims to enhance the architectural quality of simplicity, moreover, it is intended that these observations commend the position of the photograph as a document of something that traditionally leads a relatively invisible existence.

I think they’re beautiful and unassuming.

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Sign Out

This photographic series is titled Sign Out by Poland-born, Düsseldorf-based photographer Josef Schulz.

I assume that these photographs are found abstractions: Newly constructed signage that has yet to be adorned with typography and graphics. Captured in this incomplete stage, these photographs look equally surreal and futuristic, and our attention is turned away from the function of these objects to a heightened consideration of form and colour.

Update: As Maarten suggests in the comments, these photographs are more than likely digitally manipulated. Seen in this light, the work’s title is literal. Sign Out refers to a removal of graphics in an attempt to reduce or minimalise what already exists to its most basic form.

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The Outline of Design

(This is one of a series of two posts)

Dieter Rams is a fan of Naoto Fukasawa’s approach to design. Japanese product designer, Naoto Fukasawa focuses on the relationship between people and objects and their surroundings. “My job is to determine the outline of an object and to design something
 that fits right into it.” Mr. Fukasawa explains.

The “Outline” is an exhibit of 65 photographs by Advertising photographer Tamotsu Fujii of 114 of Naoto Fukasawa’s product designs. “I take photographs as if I were 
looking at a piece of scenery or at a sculpture.” says Tamotsu Fujii.

Like Mr. Fukasawa, Tamotsu Fujii enjoys stripping away product features and finds hidden shapes in an entirely different light. He almost obscures the identity of the object itself so design does not get in the way.

The minimalist agenda. Something obvious yet almost invisible.

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Iwan Baan

A while ago, there was some global competition, and the prize was supposedly ‘the best job in the world‘: island caretaker in the Great Barrier Reef. And although I am very happy for the guy who won the prize, I’m afraid that someone else has the real best job in the world: Iwan Baan.

Baan is the photographer of the starchitects: Rem Koolhaas, SANAA, Herzog & de Meuron, and many more. The Dutch photographer is sent around the world to shoot their latest works, such as the CCTV tower in Beijing, and the Bird’s Nest olympic stadium in Beijing.

So what makes Baan’s work so special? In a recent NY Times article I read the following, which I think says it well:

Mr. Baan’s work, while still showing architecture in flattering lights and from carefully chosen angles, does away with the old feeling of chilly perfection. In its place he offers untidiness, of the kind that comes from real people moving though buildings and real cities massing around them.

For Minimalissimo I have selected a few photos of Baan’s extensive portfolio, but make sure you check out Baan’s website for more architectural goodness.

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