Guardian Building, Detroit

About Chris Hytha

Chris Hytha grew up on the outskirts of Philadelphia and began to take an interest in photography and the aesthetic visual vocabulary of architecture and urbanism while studying architecture. He subsequently made this passion his… Read more

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Chris Hytha grew up on the outskirts of Philadelphia and began to take an interest in photography and the aesthetic visual vocabulary of architecture and urbanism while studying architecture. He subsequently made this passion his profession and founded a creative studio that has left its unique visual mark on the broad field of urban visuals while engaging in special projects and extensive research in this field.

His highly detailed and impressive series Highrises explores the golden era of the early 1920s in the United States, whose affluence and culture found particularly fascinating expression in architecturally and culturally bold highrise buildings. On both coasts and in all major economic centres, almost all of the country’s thriving cities saw the construction of audacious building projects whose individual, stylised appearance is closely bound to great moments in the history of world architecture and culture. Elements of the Renaissance, Classicism, the Gothic era and Art Deco overlapped and outdid one another in impressive buildings whose construction histories were no less adventurous than their predecessors and which fully reflected the American dream.

Hytha gives these buildings a photographic face while documenting their stories. In order to properly capture the rich details of these marvels of American architecture – which can only be truly savoured by the eye at great height – he has developed a special photographic approach. Using a drone, he first captures the building in numerous high-resolution photographs. He then uses post-processing methods to assemble it in a bold setting and with the best possible lighting. As a result, the building – captured in both detail and as a whole and wonderfully contrasted in high resolution and perfect colours – stands out from the diffuse expanse of the present day as an architectural milestone that invites us to experience an intoxicating dream of the Roaring Twenties, when an innovative idea could turn any small entrepreneur into a great tycoon.

INTERVIEW

Picasso once said, “you don’t make art, you find it.” Where do you find your art?
I find art in reinterpreting / representing peculiar things I find in our shared built environment

From an idea to its materialization: How do you approach your work?
I often start by sketching. This is the quickest way to explore ideas quickly. Once an idea materializes, I think of the practical process involved in creating the work. What tools do I need? What assets do I need to start with to bring together an image? Next is plenty of experimentation to land on a final image.

What is your favorite book?
My favorite book is "Flow" It is a mindset I live by.

Which artist would you like to have coffee with and what would you discuss?
I would like to have coffee with Wes Anderson to understand how is story telling techniques developed.

How did you get into art?
I got into art through exploration. I first started photography to document my explorations of abandoned factories and off-limits rooftops.

Who are the people in your surroundings that influence you?
I was very influenced by my education in Architecture. It gave me a unique approach to photography and visual art, and more importantly the process of creating.

Imagine you have a time machine. Where would you go?
With a time machine I would go back to the 1920s to see these art deco skyscrapers how they were when they opened.

Other than art, what are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about exploring the world around me, and passionate about music as a way to unwind.

What are you working on right now?
Currently, I am working on putting together a large format photo book of the Highrises Collection.