Laura O’Callaghan

BA (Hons) Photography

Reflections on the City

Having grown up in the City of London I have seen constant change and rebuilding as the City evolves, creating tension between buildings of different eras and design. My current project aims to represent the architecture of London based on two distinct themes.

The city of London is constantly evolving and urban space is routinely re-developed to meet changing requirements and demands. However, the listing process has meant that buildings of historical value are preserved, which over time has left buildings of all architectural styles and scales to jostle on the skyline together. As a result, it has led to a complex juxtaposed layering of buildings that make up the urban landscape. My first group of images will aim to celebrate the rich history of architecture in the city and the intriguing juxtapositions of time and design that emerge across the skyline.

The second part of my project focuses on the way that modern architecture interacts with the immediate environment and how the constant change in light affects the appearance of the buildings to create abstract patterns. The aim of these photographs is to produce black and white abstract images that capture the way that the surrounding buildings and the skyline has been distorted through reflections in glass facades. I wanted to isolate sections of architecture to hone in on details, remove buildings from their context, to show how fleeting changes of light can create intriguing patterns and repetitive abstraction in architecture.


Myfyrdodau am y Ddinas

Wedi cael fy magu yn Ninas Llundain rwy wedi gweld newid ac ail-adeiladu cyson wrth i’r Ddinas esblygu, gan greu tyndra rhwng adeiladau o wahanol oesedd a dyluniad. Nod fy mhrosiect presennol yw cynrychioli pensaernïaeth Llundain ar sail dwy thema benodol.

Mae dinas Llundain yn esblygu’n gyson ac mae mannau trefol yn cael eu hailddatblygu’n rheolaidd i fodloni gofynion a galwadau newidiol. Ond mae’r broses restru wedi golygu bod adeiladau o werth hanesyddol yn cael eu cadw, sydd dros amser wedi gadael adeiladau o bob arddull a graddfa bensaernïol ochr yn ochr ar y gorwel gyda’i gilydd. O ganlyniad, haenau cymhleth adeiladau wedi’u cydosod sy’n creu’r tirlun trefol. Bydd fy ngrŵp cyntaf o ddelweddau’n ceisio dathlu hanes cyfoethog pensaernïaeth yn y ddinas a chydosodiadau swynol amser a dyluniad sy’n dod i’r amlwg ar hyd y gorwel.

Mae ail ran fy mhrosiect yn canolbwyntio ar y ffordd mae pensaernïaeth fodern yn rhyngweithio â’r amgylchedd uniongyrchol a sut mae’r newid cyson mewn goleuni’n effeithio ar olwg yr adeiladau i greu patrymau haniaethol. Nod y lluniau hyn yw cynhyrchu delweddau haniaethol du a gwyn sy’n cipio’r ffordd mae’r adeiladau amgylchynol a’r nenlinell wedi’u gwyro trwy’r adlewyrchiadau yn yr wynebau gwydr. Roeddwn am ynysu rhannau o bensaernïaeth i hoelio sylw ar fanylion, tynnu adeiladau o’u cyd-destun, i ddangos sut mae’r newidiadau golau diflanedig yn gallu creu patrymau cyfareddol a haniaeth ailadroddus mewn pensaernïaeth.

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