William North:
Simple Elegance
August 12 - August 26, 2015
The exhibition includes many of North’s black and white photographs of 19th century architecture. Simple Elegance features images of cathedrals from Chicago, Washington DC, Hobart (Australia) as well as the architecture of Blanchard Hall on the campus of Wheaton College in Wheaton.
In his photographs, North explores the character and gracefulness of older structures through compositions focusing on various elements or unusual perspectives. Taking details out of their context, he emphasizes the aesthetic content and offers a different interpretation of a familiar building by showing its artistic form.
Although he began photographing many years ago, William North is a relative newcomer to the field of professional photography. It wasn’t until the digital era that fine art photography came into focus for him. His passion led him to the photo program at the College of DuPage in 2010. Soon after, he began capturing images of architecture, with emphasis on cathedrals.
His photography is influenced by a previous degree in English Literature and prior work involving architectural drafting and design. Inspiration for these works came from such respected artist-photographers as Lucien Hervé, who photographed the work of French architect Le Corbusier, and Frederick H. Evans, known for his images of French and English cathedrals.
North shoots in black and white as he believes it is consistent with the historic theme. As a result, his photographs celebrate a heritage that reaches beyond the moment.
