Saturday, November 5, 2011

Julius Shulman: Architectural Photographer

Photographer Julius Shulman was our greatest photographic chronicler of modern architecture from the mid-twentieth century well into the twenty-first. He both documented and romanticized the work of the important architects working on the west coast: Rudolf Schnindler, Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Meyer, John Lautner, etc. At the same time he created enduring myths about modernism, Los Angeles, and the atomic age.  The film Visual Acoustics by Arthouse Films, narrated by Dustin Hoffman, is not to be missed. This cinematic biography of Julius Shulman respects and enlightens his work. It was released in 2008 and continues to make the art house and film festival circuits. It is also available on DVD from Netflix.