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Julius Shulman at The Getty
Last Sunday I went to see Julius Shulman, Modernity and the Metropolis at the Getty, now showing through January 22, 2006. Julius Shulman is the father of modern architectural photography and he recently donated his entire collection of photographs, negatives and files to the museum. It encompasses an incredible 260,000 items. Shulman was a master archivist as well as a master photographer. One small area of the exhibition concentrates on his studio/office and includes a great 360-degree panoramic shot that pictures Shulman searching through his files.
Now in his nineties, Julius Shulman befriended many young architects such as Neutra, Schindler, Lautner, Koenig and others as they made their careers in and around Los Angeles. His career and acclaim grew alongside theirs and soon his name was synonymous with modern architecture imagery. His photographs contain beautiful memories of a Los Angeles that is long past, but fortunately most of the buildings are still standing and it’s still great fun to search them out on a lazy afternoon.
I was frankly disappointed in the exhibition itself, which is housed in a small gallery space in the Getty Research Institute. There were an underwhelming number of photos on exhibit, and most of those were unmatted 8x10s in cheap brushed aluminum frames. I wish they had commissioned new prints in larger sizes for some of them and put more thought into their display. Although it was still worth the trip, I get a lot more enjoyment from paging through these wonderful books.
Julius Shulman: Architecture and Its Photography
Photographing Architecture and Interiors