Modern Architecture

The title of this marvellous book is a little misleading, it should be 'The Modern Architectural Photographs of Ezra Stoller'. The actual title 'Modern Architecture' implies that it might be a history of the subject. There are 164 large, beautifully printed, photos of what he considers his best work and 223 smaller photos, many of which have his (fascinating) comments about the architects and the buildings. The majority of the photos are in black and white (thirty-four in color) and somehow this seems as it should be, mid-century Modernist architecture has a visual simplicity that works best in tones of grey and black, I feel. William Saunders essay explains how Stoller originally trained as an architect and this is probably the reason why he can take such stunning photos of buildings. One reason I like his work is because the main object of the photo always seems naturally framed within the photo area, another is that many of the photos have strong shapes which create an abstract feel to them, helped, of course, by being in black and white. Even when curves are involved Stoller still delivers, two knockout photos of Saarinen's TWA terminal (pages 120-121) remind me of the chromed tube sculpture of Jose DeRivera. A couple of book design flaws I found slightly annoying, firstly: some of the page numbers are missing on the three commentary sections where Stoller comments on the architects and buildings and secondly: none of the captions indicate when the photos were taken. Although not a design flaw I would have expected to see at least one photo of Mr Stoller in this book, the blank space opposite the title page would have been the obvious place. Stoller seemed to have concentrated on photographing modern buildings in the east of the US, the west was covered by Julius Shulman and you can see some lovely examples of his work, especially private houses, in 'Julius Shulman. Architecture and its Photography', edited by Peter Gossel. ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

This is really an art book. The photographs are art. The buildings are art. They are simple, elegant, graceful, efficient, and drop-dead beautiful (I'm referring here to both the pictures and the architecture). They are monuments to the clear concentrated thought of man.

Captures the clarity, the strength, the excitement and the in-your-face rebellion of classic modernism. Anyone who loves mid-century modern design, which is enjoying a huge revival, will love this book. Breathtaking. After some of the miserable architectural design work of the past couple of decades, this look at the past is a breath of FRESH air. It's very current. Very hip.

This and Catherine Dunne's "Interior Designing For All Five Senses" are by far the two most stunningly beautiful pictorial showcases of art I've seen in a long time.

Ezra Stoller is a master of large format architectural photography. This book is a beautifully printed gallery of his finest work. A must for students of black and white large format photography.