Jardine Skies

This is my favourite Hong Kong building. For each image this is one original hand-cut photomontage.  There are also 10 prints of each image.

In stark contrast to the brutalist architecture that appears elsewhere in these collections, this photomontage explores the morphology of Jardine House. As one of Hong Kong’s iconic modernist buildings, it has survived where many others of its time period have already been replaced. Given its prominent position on the Hong Kong harbour front, and unimpeded view of the New Territories, Jardine House can be viewed from many vantage points. As the camera’s lens finds new perspectives, so the vertical thrust of the building takes on different shapes.  A stunning building, and unique in Hong Kong as an example of architecture that commands not just an imposing figure but also, against the busied skyline, a dramatic negative space.

Photomontage adds an additional layer to the composition, imitating the porthole design, accentuating how perspective bends and warps the regular circles into ellipses that seem to peer out like hooded eyes. Frosting in the layers disturbs the strict geometry of the shape, further disrupting the classic lines of the architecture.