Abstracted:Architecture

Canary Wharf – a mini metropolis, a civic transformation, an urban district, a home... however we describe this unique east London enclave it is undeniably a feat in construction. Having celebrated its 30th birthday only last year the transformation from derelict wasteland to skyscraper city is incredible.

Over the last 6 years Mike Curry has studied the ever changing architectural landscape of Canary Wharf. He has not however sought to visually re-represent the buildings that confront us on a daily basis. Instead he has looked to Canary Wharf’s other identifiable feature, and its raison d’etre; the mass of water that surrounds it.

Abstracted:Architecture is a study of the buildings in and around Canary Wharf as they relate to the bodies of water that surround them. Initially starting as pure reflections, already abstract in themselves, Mike seeks to extend the abstraction to create something the eye can’t immediately recognise. Using in camera multiple exposures and blending modes, his resultant images are peaceful and meditative – a stark contrast to the chaos inherent to the buildings from which they are derived.

The images themselves are produced purely from within the camera. Their abstraction a result of the prevailaing weather, patience, skill and an understanding of subject matter for a successful image. Mike’s intense levels of vigilance enable him to notice things that would normally get missed. The whole process is a form of meditation and reflection, with Mike often photographing the same area of water for 3 or 4 hours and producing over 1000 multiple exposed images just to get one “perfect” image, without the use of photoshop. Post production is limited purely to contrast and levels ajustments with the intention of presenting the viewer with an honest representation of what the camera saw.

Inspired by painters such as Rothko, Hodgson, Kandinsky and Pollock, and the photography of Hockney, Mike has been a professional photographer for 35 years and is a Fellow of the British Institute of Professional Photography. He has had work featured in the Sunday Times Magazine, Outdoor Photography magazine and has featured in the Landscape Photographer of the Year exhibitions in recent years.