tpg training & consultancy
We usually see the world as a narrow-angle view of the horizontal plane; our
eyes, our entire design are optimized for living in a flat plane five to six
feet off the ground. Looking Up provides an all-encompassing, vertical view that
questions that anthropocentric basis. I was photographing in Paris, exploring my
interest in architecture when I became fascinated by the outlines of the tops of
the buildings against the sky. They formed shapes and contours that I had missed
all the other times I had passed by the same places. Not only do we seldom look
up, but it is also difficult to see in many directions at the same time. In time
came a more profound realization–that in general a photograph can break many of
the limits of human visualization of the world. By looking upward and taking in
a wider view, the scene changes radically from what we normally experience. As I
started capturing these images, momentum built. I kept being surprised that I
could create an equally true image of a scene that was radically different from
the one you see with your eyes at the same spot. As this work evolved, I’m
taking that underlying theme in multiple directions. I’ve photographed at many
locations capturing some of the variations that create a distinct place. Even
when one looks straight up, unable to see whether there are patisseries or
souks, églises or mosques, the differences are striking.
