Up-Close with Architecture - A Conversation with Paul Clemence

Photo: Fergal O’Keeffe

“Photography helps people to see”

Berenice Abbott

“Helping people to see architecture” is exactly what Paul Clemence, the award winning Brazilian architectural photographer, showed in a delightful presentation of his work organized by LA.IDEA AIA|DC at the District Architecture Center on March 5, 2019.

After an hour of conversation on the power of architectural photography and its ability to show unique narratives of buildings, which was accompanied by a selection of Clemence’s images featuring buildings of renowned architects, Clemence not only reminded the audience of the architectural details embedded by famous architects in their buildings, his refined lens also revealed surprising secrets of these architectural pieces.

Photo: Fergal O’Keeffe

One of the most important characteristics of Clemence’s work is how it examines architecture closely not only to illustrate the building but to provoke questions in the observer about details of the building, its relationship with the environment and of the architect’s own design process. With his photography, Paul captures in two dimensions the three-dimensional experience of architecture, catching it from different angles and levels and revealing what usually are half-noticed details, textures, materials and surfaces. His work enhances the spatial experience of the building; providing additional layers of information and allowing people to deepen the knowledge of architecture, to return to the sensorial experience they had in the building and to understand the flow inside and outside the space.

Photo: Fergal O’Keeffe

Sharing this night with Paul was not only an opportunity to learn about his work, it also served as a virtual visit to the buildings he photographed. The zoomed-into details and views that his lens has captured provided attendees with a unique learning opportunity on architectural features. The Q&A session was also a great chance to dive deeper into understanding Paul’s process, giving the audience an opportunity to ask about photography techniques to capture building details, the process to create a narrative for each project, experiences with clients and how his photography has captured new perspectives.

Photo: Fergal O’Keeffe

Without hesitation, we will keep a close on his regularly updated work at http://paulclemence.com and www.facebook.com/archi-photo to rediscover details and gain new experiences of the built environment.