![]() The first step was basically to see that there were going to be clouds-I was cross-referencing three different weather apps to be as sure as I could. There were a lot of constraints once I realized, “Okay, I need an evenly lit photograph with cloud cover.” It became a very analytical thing, it was almost done in a scientific manner, to get each of these houses together in the same format. What did a typical shoot day look like for you? It was just taking these little bites out of the Queens apple, as it were, for a long time. So slowly, became a kind of a routine, a kind of full-body experience. After living in Manhattan for 10 years, especially with the space constraints and the density, there isn’t too much of an opportunity to be so individualistic and expressive with the housing stock. So I thought I would keep exploring because there seems to be a very different attitude here in Queens. I’ve always kind of had an interest in geographies and territories-what comprises self-described neighborhoods, or cities, or countries, you know? These kinds of notions of identity and place. Slowly I started adding those into the website. ![]() As I’d go into different neighborhoods it would just start creeping up out there, in the periphery, these interesting moments in vernacular architecture. Once moved to Queens, from Manhattan, I started seeing a lot of this stuff all over my neighborhood. ![]() That became kind of a landing page for a lot of different thoughts. I had a blog before this called “Architecture Happens,” and the subtitle was “Modern moments in everyday building.” It was vignettes of things and vernacular structures that looked unintentionally modern. Rafael Herrin-Ferri: I’ve always been interested in photographing the vernacular of things, the overlooked built environment. South Ozone Park’s stacked zigzags: "Striped Chevron House." Rafael Herrin-Ferriīrittany Natale: How did the project come about? Did you know from the beginning just how large it was going to be? The Voice spoke with Herrin-Ferri about his exploration of the many different pockets of Queens, the artists he finds inspirational, and what it was like photographing “The World’s Borough.” (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.) The motto of the 1939 fair, “The World of Tomorrow,” feels like foreshadowing now: Today, nearly half of the borough’s 2.3 million residents are foreign-born and over 100 different languages are spoken here Guinness World Records has called it “the most diverse urban place on the planet.” Perhaps the melange of Queens was written in the stars-after all, Flushing Meadows was the site of the World’s Fair in both 19. In Queens, any given house’s designs and details are just as diverse as its residents. I can still vividly recall the summer weekend in 2001 when my mother decided to paint the metal door of our bone-white Queens home a bright cherry red. ![]() Indeed, Herrin-Ferri’s work captures the unbridled expression that is so particular to Queens, something I know well as a Queens native. John Hill, architect and author of the architecture-book-review blog Archidose, wrote that Herrin-Ferri’s project is reminiscent of the guidebooks created by Tokyo-based architecture firm Atelier Bow-Wow, in that Herrin-Ferri’s book also focuses on the often overlooked built environment. The shots shine a light on details that are often ignored in formal architectural surveys. However, dissimilar to the Bechers’ stark black and white images, Herrin-Ferri’s are exuberantly colorful, both literally and figuratively. Each shot follows a template-clean, straight lines paired with consistent lighting (achieved partly by shooting on cloudy days, which evens out the daylight) and framing. Similar to the work of German photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher, who get a shout-out in the book’s foreword, Herrin-Ferri’s photos derive from a systematic approach. The project, which slowly grew in scope over time, eventually became known as “All the Queens Houses,” with an eponymously titled book released in October 2021. Week after week, he crisscrossed the city’s largest borough, capturing the bright-blue beach bungalows of the Rockaways, the reimagined Tudors of Auburndale, and the pastel-colored Queen Annes of Woodside. Gilded splendor in Rego Park: "Crescent Street Temple." Rafael Herrin-Ferriįor the better part of a decade, Queens-based architect and artist Rafael Herrin-Ferri traversed Queens with his camera, taking photos of its unique housing stock.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |