Giselle Arteaga-Johnson Narrating Modern Space:The Interior View Julius Shulman's photographs create a balance between architecture and modern furnishings that highlights both, showing the architecture as enclosing a livable space. He frames his images as narratives by photographing interrelated compositions of space and Modern furniture that serve as guides, allowing the viewer to imagine walking through the room. In this way, Shulman depicts homes as stage sets, using furniture and architecture to suggest a modern living style unique to California. We see one such stage set in Shulman's 1950 photograph of Richard Neutra's Tremaine House. The viewer enters the scene by way of the patio chair placed in the bottom left corner. From there, the viewer is invited into the interior through the sharp angle created by the edge of the patio floor and by the bank of lights that draws attention to the living room. Furniture is placed at strategic intervals so as to guide the viewer's eye, from the patio chair to the short coffee table to the recliner inside the home. The angle of the recliner mimics the angle of the patio chair. Similarly, the design of the center table inside the home reflects that of the outside table. It is this mirroring interplay between the exterior and interior furniture that helps Shulman achieve the unique effect of blurring the lines between what is inside and what is outside. This borderless fantasy is a characteristic constant throughout Shulman's residential photography.

Abstracts: John McIntyre | Lisa A. Goodgame | Giselle Arteaga - Johnson | Oriel Lucero | Joni Haller | Order the Catalogue Home | Introduction | Julius Shulman | Director's Message | Image Collection | Abstracts | Related Areas | Credits |