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British Photographer Ben Murphy portrayed Niemeyer’s UN building, prior to the major renovation of the building in 2007. Over a period of 15 months, Murphy worked his way around the building. In more than 100 photographs, he has managed to capture what he calls ‘a certain melancholic beauty’: Architecturally speaking, the building bears the heavy imprint of the UN’s early vision.

courtesy Stieglitz19

 
 
 
Ben Murphy | UN BUILDING
21/1 – 26/2/2012
Stieglitz19 | Dries Roelens, Antwerpen, Belgium
www.stieglitz19.be

 
 
PR Text: British Photographer Ben Murphy was determined to get inside the UN building, prior to the major renovation of the building in 2007. Over a period of 15 months, Murphy worked his way around the building, taking photographs on 5×4 and 6×7 plate camera. In more than 100 photographs, Murphy has managed to capture what he calls ‘a certain melancholic beauty’.

courtesy Stieglitz19

Architectururally speaking, the building bears the heavy imprint of the UN’s early vision. ‘I’m saddened that the post war ideal didn’t materialise’ , Murphy says. And that the building is decaying and this beautiful space is going to change. But it’s like a museum. It no longer represents the real world. It was one of the earliest projects of the upcoming young Brazilian architect Niemeyer, the famous project 23.

Ben Murphy has achieved praise for his series ‘Riverbed’, pictures shot in a Spain.The series was about a post colonial settlement in Andalusia, a colony of British. New age travellers in the wasteland of Spain. Due to the series, he got a fund from the Grant Foundation in Chicago to work on Tent Cities in the United States. The works will be on show at the Photographers Gallery in London at at the Stieglitz19 Gallery. Works of Ben Murphy are in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum. He has also been shortlisted for the Sovereign Price. He is presently working on a series on hippie communities in Spain.

Info + illus. courtesy Stieglitz19