EASTMAN’S OEUVRE YIELDS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OPENINGS NOW
MICHAEL EASTMAN
Photographer Michael Eastman manages to elevate the art and design of architecture in a remarkable way. He is especially interested in doors and windows, as these openings are key focal points of most buildings. These architectural elements are often treated with great emphasis and embellishment -- and Eastman captures that beautifully.
A self-taught photographer, Eastman has been documenting interiors and facades in Havana, Paris, Rome, and New Orleans, and other important cities around the world for over 40 years.
As Havana opens up to the western world again, thanks to recent political developments, we are eager to see, in real life, the incredible buildings that Eastman has documented in both his original 2010 Havana series and his latest 2014 Havana series.
Eastman produces large-scale photographs with intense definition and a painterly approach to color.
While he is fascinated by the color and textures of decay, he also appreciates the beauty and grandeur of buildings that have stood the test of time intact.
Eastman’s exhibitions feature large format C-prints, using photographic processes and advanced printmaking techniques that he has developed over the years. Some of his more recent series of large-scale prints are hand-varnished.
By applying multiple coats of the oil glaze made from Rembrandt's 17th century formulas and then lacquering the surface of 100% rag digital prints made with 21st century’s ink jet technology, Eastman renders works that are both analog and digital. And they are astonishingly beautiful.
The openings featured in Eastman’s photos glow, with a magical air that teases you to wonder what is inside. From the sunlight blooms through palatial windows to the sleek reflections seen through contemporary orifices, Eastman’s openings are transformative.
Eastman's photographs have appeared in Time, Life, and American Photographer, and they reside in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography, The Art Institute of Chicago, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and other prestigious institutions.
Check out more of Eastman’s work on his site and in his books, Havana, Vanishing America, and Horses.
See more of Michael Eastman's work at his upcoming exhibition, opening February 19, 2015 at Ewynn Houk Gallery in New York.
Read more about Beautiful Openings, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink,Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including 10 Beautiful Books Celebrate Doors, Windows, & Soulful Openings, The Tiniest Window Yields the Most Beautiful Opening Now and 10 Beautiful Openings to Amuse Your Bouche Now.
Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Openings in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 01.18.2014. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!
PHOTO CREDITS:
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Gold Room, Bank of France, Paris.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Courtroom #1 NYC.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Image from Colors of Cuba Series.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Image from Colors of Cuba Series.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Budapest Stairwell.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Mirror Door, Lisbon.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Green Door, Lisbon.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Piazza Venice.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Italian Villa.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Image from Colors of Cuba Series.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. Golden Escalator, Tokyo.
- Photo: by Michael Eastman. From Urban Luminosity Series.