The magazine of the art-form of the photo-essay
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
Dec 2015 back issue
by Brian Vanden Brink
Photographing architecture professionally has surpassed my dreams of
finding joy and significance in my life’s work.
I've been able to travel extensively, and to see a wide range of
architecture, both in the U.S. and abroad. Throughout my career, in
addition to my professional work for architects, I have continued to
explore and shoot subjects simply because I liked them and found them
interesting. To me, it is important to retain a curiosity about this world,
and to see beauty even in the ordinary and commonplace.
The title of this book speaks to the idea of symbols in our culture that
represent something of greater significance. The environment we build
for ourselves reveals our cultural values and symbolizes our priorities.
The things we leave behind to decay are no longer useful, so we allow
them to deteriorate and fall down, or we tear them down. They, too,
are symbols. I love the open road and the adventure of seeking and
discovering the icons of our culture as I see them in our architecture.
Photographing the built environment, whether represented by a Gothic
cathedral, a desert modern house, a hot dog stand, or a quirky piece of
roadside vernacular architecture is endlessly interesting. My primary
tool is light, which defines space and adds emotion. As Thomas Fuller says, “Light, God’s eldest daughter, is a principal
beauty in a building.”
Some of these photographs are of buildings or landscapes that are so familiar we may no longer even notice them.
Others may have been designed by master architects or builders and are recognized masterpieces of creativity. Some
of them are places that I may not personally like or enjoy, but they are still part of our culture. Las Vegas holds no
appeal to me because of what I think it represents — materialism, greed, and veneer, among other things — but the
iconic Las Vegas tells us something about ourselves that needs to be acknowledged and understood. Prisons are not
attractive or desirable places, yet they, too, reveal something very important, if we are willing to look. There are many
who do not believe in God, but our places of worship are important symbols for those who do believe and desire to
live a life of faith in something that cannot be seen with the eye. They are touchstones of the mystery of life and
represent our attempt to understand our existence. The environment we build not only reflects who we are, but also
can influence who we become and suggests some of our answers to the basic human questions Who am I?, What am
I doing here?, and Does any of this really matter? As Louis Sullivan says, “Our architecture reflects truly as a mirror.”
To quote John Peck, the idea of “dignifying the ordinary” appeals to me. I see myself as one of God’s creations and I
love to work in this world that I believe He has made. I believe our creativity is a reflection of God and a gift to
ourselves and to those around us. Photography has provided me with a means of communicating how I see this world.
Singer/songwriter Iris Dement sings the gospel song “I Don’t Want to Get Adjusted to This World,” a song that
expresses her faith and hope of heaven, recognizing that she is just a pilgrim here on earth. I like that song and apply
the title in a slightly different way to my work — I don’t want to become so accustomed to this world that it stops being
interesting or that I can no longer see the significance in the things around me.
I believe it is important to invest our lives in work that we find meaningful, and I’m thankful to God for having the
opportunity to do this work that I love for the past thirty-five years. This book is a sampling of what I’ve found along the
way.
Beach Houses closed for the winter, Provincetown, MA. 2011.
Washington County, Maine.
Cairo, Illinois.
East End Cafe, Zanesville, Ohio. 2009.
Abandoned Gas Station/Cafe, Route 66, Essex, California.
Salton Sea, California (abandoned development).
Aroostook County, Maine’s largest, has wide open spaces similar to those found in the great plains. Located in the
northern part of the state near the Canadian border, it is the primary source of Maine’s potato crop.
Cutler, Maine. 1993. This simple farmhouse is an excellent example of vernacular architecture. Its modest scale,
proportion and simplicity make an aesthetic statement that stands in stark contrast to architecture marked by ego and
self aggrandizement.
Trunks in the Attic.
Ocean City, Maryland. 1983. A summer vacation destination since the late 1800’s, Ocean City’s lengthy boardwalk and
amusement parks draw thousands of holiday visitors each year.
