Starting on June 30th, 2024, Edmund Sumner presents the “Traces” exhibition, a solo show at Rodic Davidson Architects in London featuring architectural photography that explores cultural identity and historical significance across diverse landscapes. The show offers a profound exploration of architecture and design across diverse landscapes, including Europe, India, and Mexico, presenting a compelling intersection between photography and the built environment. Additionally, the photographer is expected to release his fifth book with Thames & Hudson in 2025.
Sumner’s ‘Traces’ series set out to explore the essence of architectural photography, uncovering both visible and invisible layers within various environments. His photographs reveal traces of cultural identity, spiritual realms, and historical significance, capturing the essence of places as varied as Hacienda Holl in Mexico and Inagawa in Japan. Through his lens, Sumner portrays architecture not just as a physical structure, but as a dynamic space that embodies cultural and historical nuances.
The exhibition showcases Sumner’s belief in the emotional power of architecture. He describes the series as a reflection of memory and emotional responses to spaces, both real and imagined, emphasizing his conviction that places retain energy and bear the imprints of their past. This perspective contributes to the understanding of architectural photography as a medium that goes beyond documentation, offering a nuanced narrative of human interaction with the built environment.
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Exploring the Paul Klee Center by Renzo Piano Building Workshop Through Katerina Skarka's PhotographyEdmund Sumner, a London-based photographer with a global portfolio, has spent the past three decades capturing the various facets of modern architecture. His work is recognized for its ability to convey the formal and spatial aspirations of contemporary design while maintaining a balance between style and environmental context.
The show for me is about memory and emotional response to spaces/ environments, these can be real or imagined both are fine I firmly believe places have energy and leave traces of previous incarnations. - Edmund Sumner
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