Frankly, Julius Shulman is the don of architecture photography. If you haven’t heard of him, then that’s acceptable, but you’ll most certainly be familiar with the style of photography that he popularised. Taking the clean lines of Californian modernism and transposing them to film, Schulman made a whole generation dream of a modernist paradise somewhere out beyond the mid-West.
Despite becoming less prolific later in his life, eventually dying last year, Schulman’s distinctive style still permeates everything from clothing and car adverts, to album covers and fashion shoots. It’s an aspirational aesthetic; clean, minimal, uncluttered, yet still somehow alive and full of warmth. Currently showing at independent cinemas across the UK, Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman is a documentary showcasing both Shulman’s art and uniquely individualistic life. Plus, it’s narrated by Dustin Hoffman.
You can view the trailer for Visual Acoustics below, as well as view a gallery of some of Schulman’s most famous work. If you’re further intrigued, the brilliant hardback Julius Schulman: Modernism Rediscovered is a must-read. It’s available from all good bookshops.
