English - Felipa de Almeida

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sur la terre
Julius Shulman, the master
[Case Study House No. 22 (Los Angeles, Calif.)], 1960 – Koenig, Pierre and Shulman Julius – Medium : Transparency - Dimensions : 13x10cm
Text:
Felipa de Almeida
At 97 years of age, Julius Shulman is certainly the most important photographer
to have figured in Modern Architecture. His work played a crucial role in the
Photographs:
© Getty Research Institute
building of the world-wide image of California during the 50s and 60s.
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[Kaufmann House (Palm Springs, Calif.) : exterior], 1947 - Neutra, Richard Joseph (1892-1970) and Shulman, Julius – Medium : Gelatin silver print
“For 70 years, photographing
architecture has been the joy of
my life!”
The work of the most talented
architects passed before his
viewfinder: Frank Lloyd Wright,
Mies van der Rohe, Charles and
Ray Eames, Philip Johnson,
Pierre Koenig, Louis Kahn, John
Lautner, Eero Saarinen and
Richard Neutra.
In fact, it was his meeting with the
latter, in 1936, that would launch
the photographer’s career. His
genius of composition and his
technical precision earned him
[Singleton House (Los Angeles, Calif.)], 1960 – Neutra, Richard Joseph (1892-1970)
and Shulman, Julius – Medium : Gelatin silver print - Dimensions : 25x21cm
the reputation of master of the
genre.
Julius Shulman criss-crossed the
United States and travelled to
Mexico, Uruguay, Norway, Israel
and Hong Kong, in pursuit of the
jewels of modern architecture
and to fulfil the many demands of
his clients.
Notably, Julius Shulman photographed many of the houses featured in the Case Study Houses
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Duffield’s Lincoln-Mercury Showroom, Long Beach, CA, 1963, 1963 – Killingsworth, Brady and Smith and Shulman, Julius –
Medium : Photograph – Dimensions : 26x21cm
programme which was launched
in 1945 by John Entenza from
the “Arts & Architecture” magazine. This programme invited different architects to build houses for
average American families with
average disposable income. At
the end of the Second World War
building work had to be carried
out in spite of the economic constraints and the lack of materials.
Entenza initially engaged eight
architects, among them Neutra,
Eames and Saarinen. Thanks to
this project, 39 houses were built.
Developed right up until 1966 in
Southern California, these houses
had to be easily reproduced in
large numbers, and the architects
had to take into account changes
in the materials and the industrial
construction techniques developed during the war.
“My interpretation of architecture concentrates on
function and design”.
The project however did not succeed in engaging with the public it
was aimed at, it appealed instead
to a more elitist population which
was open to new ideas. Nevertheless it contributed significantly
to the development of the
Modern Movement of architecture
in America.
Ever since he “retired” in 1989,
Julius Shulman seems to be
busier than ever. A prolific writer,
consultant, lecturer, publications
manager, at 97 Julius Shulman is
still passionate about the adven-
ture he embarked on 70 years
ago.
In 2005, the Getty Research
Institute of Los Angeles acquired
the complete archive of the artist,
represented by 260,000 exposures, negatives and colour slides.
The Institute is currently presenting an exhibition at the Los
Angeles Public Library, until 20
January 2008, entitled “The Los
Angeles of Julius Shulman", a
city he has lived in since the age
of 10.
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[Case Study House No. 21 (Los Angeles, Calif.)], 1958 – Koenig, Pierre and Shulman Julius – Medium : Gelatin silver print Dimensions : 21x26cm
[Case Study House No. 22 (Los Angeles, Calif.) : exterior view under roof overhang], 1960 – Koenig, Pierre and Shulman Julius –
Medium : Gelatin silver - Dimensions : 21x26cm
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[Kaufmann House (Palm Springs, Calif.)], 1947 - Neutra, Richard Joseph (1892-1970) and Shulman, Julius – Medium : Negative –
Dimensions : 10x13cm
Sur La Terre was lucky to be
able to interview Julius
Shulman.
Sur La Terre: You stopped working as a photographer in 1989.
What do you regret and what do
you not regret at all?
Julius Shulman: I don’t regret
anything. For 70 years, photographing architecture has been the joy
of my life!
S.L.T: Although you were an architectural photographer, some of
your photographs include people
and are reminiscent of cinema
sets. Were you inspired by the
cinema?
J.S: The cinema did not influence
in any way my use of people in my
photographs. That has always
been my way of inhabiting scenes,
houses and buildings.
S.L.T: You have worked very closely with the architect Richard
Neutra whose concept of a
house is a house which is almost
empty. What is yours?
J.S: My interpretation of architecture concentrates on function
and the rationale of the design.
Neutra’s concept of an “empty
house” seems a selfish one to
me. He concentrated on the
architecture and not on the daily
life of his clients.
S.L.T: What do you think of
contemporary architecture? Are
there any buildings or houses that
you would have loved to photograph?
J.S: I don’t feel any need to increase the quantity of my work, I’ve
done enough to fill 10 lives.
S.L.T: Have you tried digital photography?
J.S: I am a photographer who
uses professional material. Digital
photography has its place but it
cannot provide me with the visual
sharpness I need.
S.L.T: What do you think of the
notion of a museum dedicated to
architectural photography? What
architect would you invite to
design it?
[Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York, N.Y.)], 1959 – Shulman, Julius and Wright,
Frank Lloyd (1867-1959) - Medium : Gelatin silver print - Dimensions : 26x21cm
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Chuey Residence, Los Angeles, 1956, 1960 - Neutra, Richard Joseph (1892-1970) and Shulman, Julius – Medium : Black and white negative –
Dimensions : 10x13cm
J.S: A museum of architectural
photography – what a marvellous
idea! I could create it but not be
the architect of it.
S.L.T: With all your experience and
the knowledge you have acquired
during your long career, what advice would you give to young architectural photographers?
J.S: Young photographers should
read my books and my essays. I
would advise them to study a
scene, not through their viewfinder,
but with the naked eye! One must
learn to move in a space without
taking a preconceived view.
Interpretation must always be subjective.
Julius Shulman was born in
Brooklyn in 1910, and now lives
and works in Los Angeles. His
work is shown at several international galleries, notably the Yancey
Richardson Gallery of New York.
In 2005, the “Julius Shulman,
“One must learn to move in a space without
taking a preconceived view”.
Modernity and the Metropolis
Exhibition” at the J. Paul Getty
Museum of Los Angeles celebrated his 95th birthday and paid
homage to his whole life’s work.
In 1998 Julius Shulman received a
prize for his whole body of work
from the International Center of
Photography of New York and, in
1969, he was awarded the Gold
Medal from the American Institute
of Architecture.
●
For more information on the work of Julius Shulman:
www.yanceyrichardson.com
Further reading:
A Constructed View : The Architectural Photography of Julius
Shulman, Rizzoli, Joseph Rosa (Author); Esther Mccoy; & Julius Shulman
(Photographs).
Photographing Architecture and Interiors, Julius Shulman (Author),
Richard Neutra (Introduction).
Julius Shulman: Architectural Photography, Peter Gossel (Editor); &
Julius Schulman (Photographs), Taschen, 1998.
Julius Shulman: Modernism Rediscovered, Julius Shulman, Taschen.
2007