I was over at the Riverside Bridge yesterday taking photos and I was reminded of Eldon Garnet’s installation called, TIME: AND A CLOCK (1995).
The work spans a few physical sites, but perhaps the most well known component is the line of text on the west side of the bridge, which reads in 18″ high letters: “This river I step in is not the river I stand in.” (Photo above from Garnet’s website.)
If you’re from Toronto, you may be already be familiar with this installation. But I love the message and I think it’s an important one. So I thought I would reiterate it here on the blog.
The text is derived from the thinking of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. Its meaning is a simple one: change is fundamental to the universe.
Neighborhoods change. Cities change. Industries change. We change. The river you first step into, is not the same river that you’ll be standing in. That initial river has come and gone, replaced by a new river. In the words of Heraclitus, “No man ever steps in the same river twice.”
As people, organizations and cities age, there can be a tendency to resist change. I believe in fighting that tendency.
Because that’s how established rich companies get destroyed by young poor companies. They – the incumbents – underestimate the importance of change. They forget that the river is constantly flowing.
I ordered a new lens for my Fuji X Series camera today.
For those of you who are interested in photography, it’s a prime lens: 35mm (53mm equivalent) with a maximum aperture of F2.0. I wanted a fixed focal length because I suspect I’m going to enjoy shooting with it more than my current zoom lens. There’s something pure about it. I also wanted a lens that would be versatile enough for street photography, portraits, and so on. Also helpful is the fact that it’s compact and easy to carry around.
Since I picked up my Fuji camera last summer I’ve been slowly but surely returning to photography as a hobby. Part of why I did that is because I felt like I needed to challenge myself creatively. I was also inspired by some of my creative friends, namely Akbar and Evgeny. Both of them take great photos and are far more serious about photography than I am. I’m also an avid follower of Bijan Sabet’s blog. He’s a venture capitalist with an amazing passion and talent for photography.
But the other reason I have been drawn to photography – for my many years now – is that it’s a way to document the built environment. It’s for that reason that I love taking photos when I travel. Everything is new and I’m just trying to soak it all up.
I am mentioning all of this today for three reasons. First, I’d like to incorporate more of my photos into this blog. I’ve also been feeling like this blog needs a bit of a refresh. It’s been almost 4 years of daily writing and I think it’s important to continually try new things. Second, by being public about all of this, it holds me accountable. And third, I’m going to be in Miami this weekend. So expect some fresh photos on my Instagram.
Marc Goodwin – who is part of a photography studio called Archmospheres – has an ongoing project where he photographs the studios of architects.
He has photographed well known practices such as MAD, Renzo Piano, and David Chipperfield, as well as a number of geographic niches such as Paris architecture studios, Nordic architecture studios, and London architecture studios.
He also varies the size of the firm. Some of them only have a few people working out of a small streetfront retail space.
As an architect, you are pretty much required to have a cool studio space. So this is certainly an interesting photography project to take on. The photo at the top of this post is 3xn in Copenhagen.
Image: Marc Goodwin via Designboom