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Portfolio
- In between the lines
  
  This collection of images focuses on design elements in Modernist, unconventional architecture. Influenced by my background in interior design and the abstract grace of photographers Helene Binet and Judith Turner, I have sought to zoom in on fragments of these buildings and stimulate fresh narratives.
  
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- Capturing Fragments
  
  This series of photographs creates narrative landscapes from the structure, surfaces and texture of four complex buildings – all of which are revealed to have simplicity and ambiguity at their heart.
  
  By focusing on fragments of these buildings, I was able to use their geometric and abstract shapes to reveal different stories hidden within their structure. Some of these stories hint at the architects’ influences, from the graceful fluidity of Dali and the unexpected juxtapositions of Magritte, through to the surreal humanity of Dora Maar’s collages. Other images give us an unexpected insight into the architects themselves, such as the abstract forms of Zaha Hadid’s architecture that hint at aspects of her work as a painter.
  
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- On the brink
  
  This collection of images is a photographic exploration of social housing in some of North London’s most deprived boroughs.
  
  I chose to primarily showcase apartment blocks that were built after the second world war. These multi-storied communities frequently replaced slum housing, giving working class communities modern facilities and a sense of communal pride. They were more than just places to live, but homes built on a vision of shared responsibility and co-operation.
  
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- Landings 2020
  
  This body of work is part of a group exhibition. It is a collection of works by students and tutors of the Ma photography at Falmouth University.
  
  This collection of images is a photographic exploration of social housing in some of North London’s most deprived boroughs.
  
  I chose to primarily showcase apartment blocks that were built after the second world war. These multi-storied communities frequently replaced slum housing, giving working class communities modern facilities and a sense of communal pride. They were more than just places to live, but homes built on a vision of shared responsibility and co-operation.
  
  Previous Image
  
  Next Image
About

It was travel that first opened my eyes to how I could embrace photography as an art form.

During my 20s and 30s, my greatest passion was to get out and see the world. I was a young interior designer with a burning curiosity for architecture. I immersed myself in it. From Gaudi’s iconic buildings in Barcelona and the renaissance glories of Florence, through to the confident modern buildings springing up across the Far East, I travelled the globe to experience striking architecture at first hand.

My travels showed me that photography offered a new way of looking at buildings. I’d studied photography as part of my degree at art college, but when I put travel and architecture together it inspired me to develop a visual language of my own. I found that by focusing in on architectural details I could create landscapes that gave me a radical new way of interpreting buildings and their meaning. A way of opening up fresh perspectives for other people.

As my skill as a photographer grew, I became more interested in the philosophical aspect of the art form. While fascinated by aesthetics, I wanted to explore new methods of uncovering the hidden stories and meaning of buildings. I wanted to experiment with ways of letting architecture tell its own story, rather than try to impose my own meaning on my images.

To begin this journey, I enrolled on an MA course in Photography at Falmouth University. This gave me the opportunity and inspiration to develop both my technical skills and my visual language. I was inspired by innovative architects such as Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind, finding myself searching for ways of capturing the emotional as well as the structural impact of their work. I also drew on the philosophy of Roland Barthes and Susan Sontag, as well as the documentary explorations of photographer Zed Nelson.

Today my work is still very much focused on buildings, finding ways of using shape, contrast, layers and juxtaposition to unlock fresh narratives that are inspired by some of the world’s most powerful architecture.
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Sarah Douglas Photography

A visual language that opens up
architecture's narratives