INTERVIEW WITH Paul Clemence | Arch2O

 

1. How would you describe your photography?

I think my photography is an expressive way of looking at Architecture. I am interested in not just documenting a building but capturing the essence of the design, let’s say the building’s “personality”.

2. How do you personally access creative inspiration? 

When photographing, my muse is the light!  Architecture is the subject, but the play of light is what makes it come alive, at least for my eyes. When not photographing, I access creative inspiration by looking at other artists I admire and trying to understand their ideas and feel their vision. And today with YouTube and the internet is so easy to do that, to learn from people we admire.

 

3. Which photographers influenced you, and how did they influence your thinking, photographing, and career path?

Different photographers, and artists, have brought me different things. I admire how Hiroshi Sugimoto works in series, the seascapes one being a constant source of inspiration for me. Wolfgang Tillmans, I like for his freedom of subjects and techniques. But as far as the work itself I think painters have been a more profound influence: the compositions and use of light in Edward Hopper’s paintings, Monet’s search for capturing the elusive atmospheric moment, and his bend towards abstraction.

 

4. Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why?

That is such a hard question. I have been very fortunate, there are so many! Le Corbusier’s  Tower of Shadows in Chandigarh, India,  Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, Oscar Niemeyer’s Brasília buildings…But I am gonna say the essay I shot in Cuiába, Brazil’s westernmost city. It was an unusual commission for me, to shoot historic landmarks, and I was uneasy about it given my focus is mostly modern and contemporary. But once I got there the light was so amazing, so strong, that it made everything pop, colors, textures, details. Yes, I would say the unexpectedness of the light and what I would find there made that experience a very unique and memorable one.

 

5. What are you working on at the moment?

I am developing a portfolio of landmark projects by Brazilian modern master Oscar Niemeyer. I was just in Brazil and shot some more of his buildings, like the early projects in the Pampulha Complex and the Hotel Nacional in Rio de Janeiro.

6. If you weren’t a photographer what would you like to be?

A dancer or a painter. Maybe a dander painter.

 

7. When did you realize that photography was a path you wanted to follow full-time?

It was after I moved to Miami Beach that I began to realize that photographing was not just a pastime, a hobby, but a deeper creative outlet that also had professional potential.

 

8. What has been your biggest challenge?

I would say focusing, no pun intended. There’s so much out there that catches my eyes, so many cities I still haven’t explored, and so much Architecture to connect with!

9. Do you remember your first shot? What was it?

It was my model when I was in Architecture school. I made models for every single project I made and I would always photograph them, already paying attention to what angle would best express the concept of the design.

10. What advice you could give To beginners 

Look less at Instagram, at your phone, go more to museums and galleries and take lots of photos – don’t limit your creativity!