Beschreibung
This highly original and personal exploration of Tadao Andos work, one of Japans leading architects, traverses both the physical and spiritual world. In 2012, Philippe Seclier visited Tadao Andos iconic Church of the Light, and was immediately compelled to journey around the world to further study the architects buildings. This unique presentation of Andos work is the result of what turned into a nine-year project to photograph 130 buildings. Walking around each structure, trying to find the proper framing, helped Séclier understand Andos genius for siting and composition. Loosely organized by chronology, each building is represented in numerous black and white images, arranged like a mosaic on the page. These fragmented views correspond to Andos own philosophy of the logic of structure and geometry. This 'atlas' embraces not only the geographic but also thematic range of Andos oeuvrefrom transit stations in Tokyo and Kobe to art museums in Fort Worth, Texas and Provence, France; from an artists retreat on the Mexican coast to the now-demolished Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester, England; from a theater in Milan, Italy, to an upscale restaurant in New York City. Secliers photographs of Andos numerous religious structures brilliantly illustrate his use of light and shadow to evoke spiritual depth and timelessness while his short texts offer concise observations of each building. A helpful appendix pinpoints the geographic diversity and range of Andos oeuvre.
Autorenportrait
Philippe Se´clier is a photographer and film director. His publishing credits include Ho^tel Puerto and La longue route de sable, based on a text by Pier Paolo Pasolini. He has directed two documentary films, Instants d'anne´e and Un voyage ame´ricain, about Robert Frank's book, The Americans.
