ArchivePhotography
Down the long driveway, you’ll see it – Book by Mary Gaudin & Matthew Arnold
Mary Gaudin's newest project saw her travel to New Zealand, armed with a camera to document beautiful modernist houses for her newest book.
As you may have noticed on my personal blog that I myself have been experimenting with my own architectural photography. I think being part of this process gives you an appreciation for the documentation of architecture and the photographers who undertake such projects. A photographer that I’ve featured here before on the site is Mary Gaudin, a New Zealand born creative who’s now living in Montpellier, France. She has a great eye for line and shape, especially when it comes to architecture and interiors. Mary’s most recent project takes her back to her homeland where she’s produced a fantastic publication titled “Down the long driveway, you’ll see it” in collaboration with Matthew Arnold.
This book features a selection of modernist New Zealand homes. Although based on an architectural subject the actual intent behind this publication was to highlight the homes of these individuals and get an idea of how they were lived in and the concept of “better living”. One thing I particularly admire is Mary’s pursuit of the details, documenting all the elements that others might ignore or miss. These details show the houses in their true nature and how they have progressed over time, we also get an idea of the materials that they’ve used and the construction methods.
The subject is the most appealing part of this book for me, alongside the beautiful photographs and properties of course. We’ve all seen photographs of the modernist homes in LA and Paris, but what about those creative homes hidden away that are lesser-known? Take for example The Martin House that was built for potters Bruce and Estelle Martin in 1971, and designed by architect John Scott. It has particular appeal because of its functionality as a home, but also due to their fantastic collection of pottery that they’ve made and collected over the years. I think the Martin house highlights the particular mix of craftsmanship and design which is reminiscent of all the homes shown in this book. The book is now available in New Zealand and will be available over this side of the world in mid-December, 2014. I certainly recommend adding this one to your collection via the dedicated webpage below.