By
James Riche
Piece description from the artist
TWA Terminal – JFK International Airport
Eero Saarinen’s masterpiece, the TWA Flight Center at JFK airport. This building is a mid century jewel, a beautiful yet functional building that served as a terminal until 2001. I stayed at the hotel for two days during the early stages of the pandemic, waiting for my flight back to Los Angeles. It was deserted, because of the pandemic. It was a unique opportunity to see this architectural wonder undisturbed by masses of people and noise. The dynamic, endlessly curving shapes, the mid-century style, the instant evocation of an era when travel was a luxury – it was all there. The evening and night brought soft light, interior curves were strong, small recesses were dark, the TWA signs in their bright red contrasted to the grey concrete. I knew sunrise would provide stunning light and shadow, so I was up before dawn and shot for 3 hours, admiring the structural complexity, the long shadows from the Eero Saarinen designed chairs and tables, the hand rails down the main stairs.
This series has been shown in numerous galleries and won a Silver Medal from the prestigious PX3: Prix de la Photographie, Paris 2021
After graduating from R.I.T. with a degree in Photography as a Fine Art Jim went to Washington DC and began a career as a freelance photographer. He was a part time teaching assistant at the Corcoran College of Art & Design. Soon thereafter he was invited to be a Director of Photography on a stop motion film. From there he started a 40 year career in the film/visual effects business. Jim has worked with many of the best VFX shops in the country, Digital Domain, Blur, Ntropic and many more.
For the last 6 years he has been developing his photography once again and as of December 2018 it is a full time career in the Photography as a Fine Art world. He and his wife Melissa recently had their book published, “Mod Mirage- Mid Century Architecture of Rancho Mirage” that Jim did all the contemporary photography for.
Jim’s interest in photography as a design tool has led to many shows, awards and assignments. The work is about design, composition, abstract shapes and space. Light is primary, especially in black & white. Travels have taken him from Patagoinia to Los Angeles, Barcelona, Valencia, New York and many other places.
Mod Mirage, a book showing Mid Century Architecture in Rancho Mirage published by Gibbs Smith in August 2018 www.modmirage.com
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