SHADOWS AND LIGHT.

SHADOWS AND LIGHT. This photo essay has changed the way I look at the world. The photos demonstrate the difference between window treatments in modern architecture and in traditional buildings. The third photo in the essay shows “modest tenement apartment buildings” with prominent fire escapes. Before reading the essay, I would have thought of the fire escapes as excrescences, interfering with the facades. The essay praises the light and shadow on the facades and points out how the fire escapes contribute to the light and shadow: “Don’t let your eyes be shy about taking the ironwork — the fire escapes — into account. Those rungs, diagonals, slats, and verticals add a dimension that isn’t to be ignored.” The essay contrasts the smooth surfaces of some modern skyscrapers with the deeply inset windows and textures of older buildings. There is a photo of rusticated stone blocks as a design element, and, at the end, a link to another essay which praises the rough textures of old brick in contrast to the smoothness of modern brick surfaces.