Tampa Nocturne

Artifacts

The Photograph as Artifact.

As the sun cedes it’s dominant illumination to the oncoming night, the urban paradigm undergoes a radical shift; it’s structures, streets, plazas and parks become literally abandoned by the thousands of people who interact there during the day. Standing in these vacated urban spaces in the quiet hours of the night a sort of existential angst becomes fathomable, even palpable: one of isolation, loneliness, vulnerability.

Yet there is also beauty here. Wherein by day the sun renders this urban environment flat and gray, by night, light emanates from every direction in myriad forms. Objects take on subtle dimensionality. We now can look into the buildings. A new luminous landscape is born.

The ambience of nighttime urban architecture is particularly alluring. Buildings are created not only as functional entities but with aesthetical considerations in mind. The lighting of these structures seems to have been given particular attention and lends itself readily to photographic exploration.

Ultimately great architectural structures are elevated to cultural symbols and works of art in of themselves. The ensuing architectural photographs of such symbols are really derivative objects. As artistic expressions of other works of art, such photographs then become ‘artifacts’ in a sense. In theory, these photographic artifacts are everywhere, merely waiting to be unearthed by discerning eyes.

Gary Reimer, October 2009

Swirl	Med	MOSI	Soul Train	Shriner
USF Health	Peer	400 North Ashley	Greco	Justice
Old City Hall	Cross	Reflect	Solstice	Sail