January 22, 2013

A Visual Inventory

I find great inspiration in the work of architect John Pawson. His design reflects a refined simplicity and communicates essence of space. So, it is no surprise that his new book by Phadion titled  A Visual Inventory is a thing of beauty. Filled with images Mr. Pawson took himself, presenting vignettes that have resonated within. I am grateful for a glimpse into this personal collection he has so generously shared. Whether something tangible like the shape of a stair, or experiential like the quality of light passing through a window, somehow he has captured these qualities for all of us to share. These pages descibe visually his studies of form, light, scale and texture which he masterfully executes in his own work.

Photography and documentation of environment is very much a part of Mr. Pawson’s process. Watch this beautiful video of John’s process, which follows him on his journey of photography where he finds beauty and inpiration on his travels in everyday life.

“You can see beauty in very small things and in very strange places – my photographs are a reflection of what’s inside this very messy brain.” John Pawson is not the kind of person one would expect to have a messy anything. It’s been said before but his beautifully structured, meticulously thought out and precisely executed buildings are a testament to the very idea of minimalism. What you perhaps didn’t know is that as well as being a master architect he’s also a voracious taker of photographs and is rarely without a camera.

He photographs to record the day, what he sees and what he is inspired by. Since acquiring his first digital camera he has amassed almost a quarter of a million images – a record, he says, of a peripatetic life. Now, he’s scrupulously edited down those images to just 272 for A Visual Inventory – a book that gives a unique insight into his curiosity, thoughtfulness and particular way of viewing the world around him.”

Images and excerpts sourced at Phaidon.

Related posts:

  1. John Pawson
  2. Visual Acoustics
  3. The Visual Language of Herbert Matter
  4. Resource Visual
  5. Thoughts for the New Year

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2 Responses to “A Visual Inventory”

  1. Jayna Rayas Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 2:22 am

    It is not our qualities that demonstrate what we definitely are£¬ it is our possibilities.

  2. Magan Jethva Says:
    January 25th, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    me and my wife have been following your website regularly in 2013 so we will be here in 2013 also ! greetings and happy 2013 for you !!