The Guggenheim, Frank Gehry’s architectural masterwork, has been likened to a beached ship or a gigantic flower. I photographed it from across the Nervion River on an overcast afternoon, when it looked more like a medieval castle wearing 21st century armor. I have seen many photographs of this building but never one like this. Why? Because most photographers prefer to shoot buildings in just after dawn or at dusk, when the light is warm and textures show brilliantly. Or else at night, when light abstracts and color astounds. But I was not given any choice in the matter. When to shoot the Guggenheim was out of my control, because I was on a tour that spent only a few hours there. As the fates would have it, the skies were leaden. As any travel photographer on a tour can tell you, you play the hand that you’ve been dealt, and try to get the most out of it. I immediately realized that context would have to replace beauty as my point. So I hiked across a bridge and took a position opposite the museum, using the shimmering Nervion River as reflective base for my image. I then noticed that although the skies over Bilbao were dark, there were still clouds at work in the sky. So I waited for a dark cloud to approach the amazing curved titanium panels that Gehry uses to cover the building. When it got close enough to echo the thrust of Ghery’s panels, I made this photograph.
I used my spot meter to expose for light playing the towering central panel – the only one panel that seems to picking up a reflection at this time of day. (You can see another, much closer image of this central panel in my Gallery Two on Incongruity). My shot gives the building its brooding, medieval look by abstracting most of its detail except for that panel, and stressing its shape instead. A close study also reveals tiny people walking past the museum on the other side of the river, adding scale incongruity and showing just how big this museum building really is. (The neighboring building and arch at the right are not part of the Guggenheim, but they are exhibition halls. You can view the striking reflective surface of one in my Gallery 12 on Color.) This picture of the Guggenheim Museum would not make a pretty postcard image because its dark, coppery colors defy viewer’s expectations. I don’t think the museum would want to use it in its promotion, either, because overcast days don’t really show off the reflective qualities of Gehry’s panels. (See my discussion of that in my Gallery One on Abstraction.) Yet I feel that this image does tell a story. It becomes an abstraction that excites the imagination, making us think of other things and allowing the viewer to fill in his or her own details. It speaks of its huge scale, and makes a visual reference to Spain’s own historical context -- its massive ancient castles and fortresses standing guard across great moats. This picture defies convention and takes a few chances, a fitting match for Gehry’s daring, controversial architecture. What does my picture say about this building to you? Please leave your own comments, questions, and suggestions below so I can respond and we can all learn more from them. Thanks.