Saturday, March 8, 2014

The Art of Architectural Photography 3-8-2014

Aside from the point, the line is the most basic element of all visual art.  In fact the line underscores the theme in every art: sculpture, painting, dance, music, literature, poetry et al.  By far the line is the most expressive artistic aspect of an art work as well.  Not necessarily bound by form or function, the line may curve, glide straight, distort itself and inscribe subject or not.  Lines are only restrained by the artist's imagination. However, in order to successfully interact with the other elements of an artwork, the line must accommodate each component of the art in which it exists.
In the black and white architectural photograph of escalators, the lines are a decided focus.  They sweep through the piece with rhythm and their movement emphasizes the darks and lights.  Essentially the lines move the eye around the photograph in a way that echoes the hypnotic up and down flow of the escalators.

Escalators: Midtown Manhattan
 

 

2 comments:

  1. WOW! Ellen I absolutely love this image. The composition is amazing. It is so full of energy and movement.

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  2. Thank you, Nick! Whenever I see these shapes, I try to capture the vibe. The lights and shapes are so visually exciting to me!

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