JULIUS SHULMAN

Photographer Julius Shulman (1910-2009) brought his unique vision to architectural photography and helped to place Mid-Century Modern in the public consciousness. His images created a kind of aesthetic mythology around designers like Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Raphael Soriano, Pierre Koenig, Phillip Johnson, and Charles Eames. Shulman was a master of light and composition. "There were architects working in the fifties and sixties, as evidenced by the offshoots of the direction taken during the case study house program of Arts and Architecture Magazine, men such as Smith and Williams--who, at that time, were actually among my favorites, because they were moving away, evolving into a more relaxed expanse of architectural spirit to their houses" (Archives of American Art interview). His most famous image of the Stahl House below (Case Study House #22/1960) illustrated an ability to show the new aesthetic as livable space. To my eyes, the smart minimalist scenes he crafted echoed a change in post-war values toward the intellectual, personal utopia celebrated in the culture of individualism, Hi-Fi, lounge, technology, and the bachelor-pad ideal celebrated in early Playboy. 

Shulman's career was the subject of an excellent 2008 documentary called Visual Acoustics narrated by Dustin Hoffman. Trailer below. Stahl House info and tours here. Shulman on NPR here. Spy Vibe Posts: Modern Architecture LP, Mid-Century Modern at Schulz, Dieter Rams Braun Design, Tati's Playtime, Bosko interview, Phillip Johnson Glass House, Set For Adventure. Other links of interest: Mies van der Rohe Society,Phillip Johnson Glass House, Eliot Noyes, Eero Saarinen, and the school my family started, the New York School of Interior Design. 

Recent Spy Vibe posts: Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, The Prisoner & Captain Scarlet, HMV returns to Oxford st w Beatles promo, Diego Fortunato & Verner Panton,  Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series,  Peter Asher, Gerry Marsden tour, Elio Petri on Blu-ray, Sophia Loren, new Beatles BBC album, new Hercule Poirot novel, Beatles fall 2013 releases, A Hard Days Night cinematographer dies, Magic Christian on Blu-ray, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.

Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.