Monday, March 22, 2010

Updating urban photo cliches


Seen from south of Eighth Street, just out of the Campbell Mithun Building.  Campbell Mithun agency coined the term "skyway."  In Canada they are called pedways.  Be grateful.

Now, for the image.The old urban cliche was an ornate church steeple contrasted to the impassive glass wall tower of the modern skyline. This is a new cliche, the 50s modernist church steeple contrasted to the almost-post-modern deco geometry of the 90s. I especially like the "halo" of the rear building catching the sun, and the dense texture of the window wall. I think of this picture as a kind of shadow box collage of the confusion of contemporary design, which remains attractive, but forgoes sentiment altogether.
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