John Pawson interview by Jim Stephenson
Earlier last year I bought the superb John Pawson – A visual inventory book, which I really enjoyed and have recommended many times since to others. I wrote a few words on why I liked it too, which I still stand by.
I was also fortunate to see him at the Design Museum in conversation with Deyan Sudjic. The format worked really well and there were some interesting questions after. I tried to speak to him briefly but he was mobbed with people so left it. Jim managed to set up an interview with him for a magazine and that interview is now online which reveals a little more about his process and his obsession with photography and imagery. In particular I liked this quote.
But I think what’s interesting to me is that photography forces you to look at things more closely, both before you take the picture and afterward. You start seeing things framed, like vapour trails in the sky crossing telegraph wires for example. You start seeing photographs everywhere. I like being able to capture that with the camera in my pocket.
I found a similar thing after finishing a 365 project in 2009. The process of recording images on a regular basis makes you far more visually aware and I’d recommend it to anyone even vaguely interested in photography. Well worth reading the article in full.
