Tag Archives: architecture

Apartment Building, Reflections

Apartment Building, Reflections
Against the backdrop of a black tower, an apartment building reflects the urban environment

Apartment Building, Reflections. San Francisco, California. February 3, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Against the backdrop of a black tower, an apartment building reflects the urban environment

Since I spent a day in San Francisco last week, you can expect a group of architecture and street and similar photographs over the next few day, possibly intermixed with landscapes and nature for a few weeks!. I was there to see a particular installation at SFMOMA, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I always take my camera, partly to photograph people at the museum, partly to photograph the building itself, and partly to take advantage of photographing the surrounding neighborhoods, especially from elevated vantage points at the museum.

The recent expansion of the museum added a new wing at the rear, with seven floors of exhibits and other services. (And, as I realized on this visit, several more floors above that which appear to be inaccessible to the public, unfortunately.) Several outdoor terraces and balconies provide interesting overlooks above the surrounding urban scene, and during my visit the light was very interesting, too — ranging from cloudy and rainy to occasionally clear, but often with at least some clouds softening the light. I’m fascinated by the juxtapositions of form and color in the dense field of surrounding buildings, including the contrast between light tones and reflection of the building on the right versus the dark, slick, and vaguely ominous black of the further building.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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Interior, SFMoMA

Interior, SFMoMA
Interior photograph of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Interior, SFMoMA. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, California. January 3, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Interior photograph of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

In the wake of the major expansion and remodel of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA), the feeling of the place has changed. Overall I think that the changes are almost universally for the better, and it seems to me that the new space in the tall and narrow “addition” to the rear of the original building works quite well. (I have a few quibbles — including some back galleries that include audio in their exhibits but are not acoustically isolated sufficiently.) The feeling is mostly open and bright, which I think works well for modern art.

The feeling of the original front portion of the building is somewhat as it was, but it has changed, too. The ground level was originally designed to function as a main entrance and assembly space, but now much of that has been moved further back into the new building. The central atrium is still there, with stairs winding around its space, and lit from above by the light coming through the “oculus” at the top that faces to the west. I’m always intrigued by the shapes and colors and light in this space and the way that geometrical forms warp along its curved surface.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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Turret Bridge, SFMoMA

Turret Bridge, SFMoMA
The bridge across the turret atrium at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Turret Bridge, SFMoMA. San Francisco, California. January 3, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The bridge across the turret atrium at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA) is a fascinating architectural structure, in addition to being the home for a large collection of modern art, including that in the possession of the museum and addition work that travels there for exhibits. Since the recent remodel and expansion, the facility combines two components, the newer galleries and the shorter original building with its central open area. This atrium is the most prominent element of that space, extending from the ground floor to the iconic rounded skylight feature.

A pedestrian bridge crosses the upper reaches of the atrium. Its semi-transparent floor provides a bit of excitement — or terror! — for visitors who have the courage to look straight down. I’m fascinated by visual elements of the bridge and the space it inhabits, with light spilling down into the atrium’s well from that round skylight to flow over and around the curves and angles of the structure.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Three People, Gallery, Elevator Door

Three People, Gallery, Elevator Door
Three people in an art gallery with a freight elevator door

Three People, Gallery, Elevator Door. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. January 3, 2017. © Copyright 2017 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Three people in an art gallery with a freight elevator door

I suppose that if you are camera-shy and you see me in a museum that you may want to run for cover. (Or just wait for me to become interested in the exhibits — I’m notorious for taking forever to work my way though museums. Family members have been known to just give up and go find a restaurant to wait for me to finally finish!) In any case, I like to photograph in museums, for the interesting architectural details and light and for the opportunity to watch people doing interesting things and assembling themselves into various compositions.

We were at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA) where we had seen a lot of very interesting stuff. (My favorite was the installation on the top floor by William Kentridge, “The Refusal of Time. I walked into it prepared to be unimpressed, but ended up being very moved by it.) Along the edge of a gallery on a lower floor there was a giant freight elevator door taking up almost all of one wall. One thing about museums is that almost anything seen in such a place has the potential to take on meanings beyond the ordinary, and for some reason this door caught my attention. I did as I often do with such subjects — I waited for people to populate this “intimate urban landscape” so that I could make a few photographs.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Email


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.