The skills of Selwyn Pullan (1922-2017) and other architectural photographers of his generation changed the way we see architecture of the postwar era. The image is not transparent to the building; in its setting, it creates a scene. Through staged elements and framing of specific views under particular lighting conditions, architectural photography instituted an idealized relationship between viewer and building. As the current exhibition at the West Vancouver Museum reminds us, photography is a much more intention-laden medium than is commonly presupposed.
This exhibition reveals a photographer testing his mastery, fully exploiting the range of his film stock, first in capturing the image, then in the darkroom printing where great craftsmanship was required. Today, Pullan?s images reveal degrees of obsolescence neither intended nor even conceivable at the moment of their making. “Hungry"” Vancouver, built 1956 (photo c. 1963); architect unknown.
Next, ?Clarke Simpkins Showroom.? The advanced design of the car dealership is characteristic of high-end imports, but the real subject of this picture is light. First, we have the glowing glass box and the signage, topped by four lanterns on the building?s roof. In the adjacent lot sits an enormous arc-light, dimmed but ready to light up the dark sky. On the opposite corner, an ordinary street light barely illuminates a wooden power pole and drab apartment building. Pullan has meticulously assembled a complex dre...