For too long each new major development in the field of transportation – rail, car, air – was perceived as a pivotal achievement that would eventually diminish or eliminate the others altogether.
Today environmental challenges combined with both technological and logistical improvements, have created a new shift in thinking: putting rail travel back at the center of urban, energy, and transportation policies; establishing tight connections between air, rail and car for the convenience of the passenger; manufacturing hybrid and electric cars; offering car and bike sharing programs in major cities; developing an extensive network of bike lanes and so-called ‘bike super highways’.
The exhibition Design for Movement will invite a large audience to think about the past, present and future of transportation. In a context in which integrated mobility has become the key to more efficient and sustainable forms of travel – locally, nationally as well as internationally – how do architecture and urban planning respond to the challenges of the transition from a single- to multi-purpose architectural environment? How do they integrate not only different modes of transportation but also a large palette of services for the comfort and convenience of the traveler and the visitor alike?
Starting with Grand Central Terminal in New York City – up to today the largest train station in the world in number of platforms – which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013, Design for Movement will feature a series of architectural landmarks in the field of transportation in Asia, Europe and the United States.
Sample Photos
Photographer
Gordon Watkinson borrowed a camera for a photography class he took at the age of 24 while attending Virginia Commonwealth University. Although he had never thought of photography in a serious way, after completing the course his professor saw enough in his work that he encouraged Watkinson to reconsider his career choice and arranged for him to begin working as a photographic assistant. Watkinson has spent the past 18 years working as a commercial photographer for a broad range of clients from the fields of advertising, architecture, design, and fashion. In conjunction with his photographic work he has directed commercials, made industrial videos, and worked directly with major corporations as well as specialized brands, helping them to develop visual strategies for targeted markets. Over the years he developed a strong sensitivity for both forms and materials, which has shaped his visual approach and strengthened his fascination for timeless and minimalist design.
Watkinson’s latest project, the exhibition Bauhaus twenty-21: An Ongoing Legacy, has been traveling throughout Europe since its opening in March 2009, and will be on a 3-year long tour in the US starting in January 2013; the companion publication to the exhibition was published in English, German, Polish and will soon be available in a Chinese edition.
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Photographs by Gordon Watkinson approx. 25-30
Archival pigment prints mounted on aluminum
26 x 34 inches / 66.04 x 86.36 cm
34 x 46 inches / 86.36 x 116.84 cm
42 x 58 inches / 106.68 x 147.32 cm
Space Requirements
Approx. 2000 – 3000 square feet / 185 – 280 square meters
Approx. 400 running feet / 120 running meters
Security: Limited
Participation Fee: Upon Request
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Foto+Synthesis offers the following educational opportunities with Gordon Watkinson:
Telling a Story: Photography & Architecture
2 day-workshop for middle and high school students
Participants will learn how to use a series of photographs to illustrate a personal vision while developing an awareness of the local built environment.
Anatomy of a Photo Project
1 day-seminar for university photography & art students, or/and general audience
Participants will learn how to develop a photographic project, from conception through planning for its realization in book or/and exhibition form.
Guided tours of the exhibition with Gordon Watkinson
Guided tours of the exhibition with photographer Gordon Watkinson for targeted audiences (general, children, high school students, art/photography/architecture/design students, architects, etc.)
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