A new book has been released that showcases the work of one of Australia’s most renowned architectural photographers: John Gollings.
Gollings has been making pictures for more than forty years and has played a major role in shaping the perceptions of Australian architecture.
Beautiful Ugly was compiled to showcase the best of his photography.
Architectural journalist Joe Rollo charts Gollings’ journey around Australia’s architectural landscape: houses, car parks, sheds, toilets, public buildings, tall buildings, low buildings, wide buildings, freeway walls, road tunnels, eco-resorts and cityscapes are presented through his unique lens.
Scattered at intervals throughout the book are illustrative sketches, word pictures and commentary from Gollings and the involved architects, providing an insight into Golling’s methods of composition— from hanging by one arm from a helicopter, only metres away from a skyscraper, to enduring electrical storms and undertaking pre-dawn desert wanderings in order to achieve the perfect ‘shot’.
The publishers explain:
“His work is memorable, if not indelible. We relate so strongly to his photographs because they are portraits, rather than mere architectural records. Gollings captures the beauty, power and drama of an architect’s vision and imbues the structure with identity.”
About the author
Joe Rollo is an architecture writer and critic. He reviews architecture for The Age newspaper and is the founding editor of C+A, an international magazine of concrete architecture. He is the author of two books on architecture and holds a Master of Architecture degree (Honoris Causa) from RMIT University. He lives in Melbourne
Beautiful Ugly: The Architectural Photography of John Gollings is published by Thames & Hudson
Win A Copy
We have a copy of Beautiful Ugly to give away to the first person who can correctly identify all 5 projects pictured below.
To enter, simply head to our Facebook page and list what you think the projects are in this album.
Good luck to everyone!
