Michael Wolf's large-scale architectural photographs of downtown Chicago buildings are not to be missed. Wolf expertly walks the line between inner and outer, balancing the monumental structures of steel and glass with the diminutive scale they give to the lives within. Working fluently with the qualities of that modern construction, the glass curtain wall, his photographs highlight the diverse types of repetition of neighboring structures, emphasizing their prefabricated elements. At the same time, the sheer glass windows -- now transparent, now reflective depending on the light -- yield tiny, provocative glimpses of individual lives and spaces inside these many small compartments. Shot from atop rooftops and parking garages to achieve straight-on compositions trimmed of hints of place, the large images are crisply detailed. Michael Wolf lives and works in Hong Kong. This is his first project in the U.S. in two decades and well worth seeing. An exhibition catalog is available. At Stephen Daiter Gallery through February 28, 2009.
Image: Transparent City #87B, 2007/2008, chromogenic print, 42 x 50 in. © Michael Wolf.
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