Abstraction and Architecture
The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles California is an unusual piece of architecture. Its oddly exaggerated lines and curves look like a bizarre, animated city skyline. The bent metal shapes of the building are designed to reflect light and create a delightful changing play of light and shadow throughout the day and night.
When photographing this building, I was drawn to the details details more than its overall design. The range of light reflecting off of it and the different shapes throughout the building reminded me of photographers Cole Thompson’s and John Barclay’s great black and white photographs of sand dunes in Death Valley. Their work lead to the realization that the extreme tonal ranges of light in these intimate architectural landscapes needed to be shown in black and white. Well almost. There are a couple of color images here to show how the nice the building reflects color, especially at night.
Disney Concert Hall Up Close
Sky And Reflection by Richard Lewis 2017
Disney Concert Hall 1 by Richard Lewis 2017
Slot Canyon Of Metal by Richard Lewis 2017
Disney Concert Hall 2 by Richard Lewis 2017
Disney Concert Hall 3 by Richard Lewis 2017
Disney Concert Hall 4 by Richard Lewis 2017
Disney Concert Hall 5 by Richard Lewis 2017
Disney And The Moon by Richard Lewis 2017
Disney and Its Neighbors
While I was admiring and photographing those sexy curves up close, it became obvious how the Disney Concert Hall’s design contrasts with the architectural visions of its neighboring buildings.
Disney And The Broad Museum by Richard Lewis 2017
A Simple Study Of Urban Vision by Richard Lewis 2017
The Parting Shot
One interesting thing about architecture in a city is that it doesn’t exist alone. Any building becomes part of the street and skyline it inhabits.
LA After Dark by Richard Lewis 2017
I hope you enjoyed this little architectural study. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.
Enjoy
Great images! You really found some good compositions. Next time you come to California, please, please come up to Ventura county and visit me. We can finally meet and shoot together. Or let me know and I’ll meet up with you someplace else.
Thanks Terry. I appreciate the compliment. We are coming to LA more now and we will definitely have to work a trip up to Ventura and visit. It wold be great to shoot together!
Beautifully done Richard!
Thank you Karen.
A tremendous body of work here! Wow! And thank you for your shout out !
Thank you John I appreciate the compliment. I’m very happy to give a shout out to you. Your work has alway been an inspiration.
A fantastic collection and post! These would be great printed large and then presented in an exhibit. I wonder how they would look on metal or metallic paper. ‘Sky and Reflection’ and ‘Disney and the Moon’ are my favorites.
Thank you Denise. I was thinking about how I would print these and never considered metallic paper. Thanks for the idea. As always, you got me thinking!
An interesting collection of images and post depicting the details of a very unique building. You basically dissected the whole to show and appreciate so many details that otherwise would not really be seen. Love it..
Thanks Larry. I appreciate your comment. It definitely is an interesting building to study with a camera.
Lotta Wows here, Rich
Thanks Ralph. I appreciate the Wows.
Rich, I just returned from a trip to California, including a day-trip to Downtown LA. The goal was to visit The Broad and, if time permitted, to tour the tapestries in the Queen of Angels Cathedral. I was intrigued by the Disney building and from your photography here, that will be a lure to get me to LA again. (Truthfully, LA was so alive, so colorful, it furnishes its own invitation every time I think about the day I spent there!) These images, and your thoughts about the architecture and the city, are interesting and appreciated.
Glad you enjoyed LA Steve and took some inspiration from the Disney building. It is intriguing and being right next to the Broad is convenient. LA is an interesting place for sure. Downtown is quickly changing and the skyline is so different that it was not that long ago. Thanks for your comment.