Owen Davies

Light/Mass is an ongoing series of alien urban landscapes found in cities across the United States.

Exploring the overlooked architecture of metropolitan America, I seek to reveal the beautiful strangeness of these monument-like structures standing in familiar environments.

I moved to New York City from England during the Spring of 2020, days before the city shut down. Like many people living in New York during that time, I walked and cycled through the almost empty streets, passing the time and getting a sense of my new home.

I became fascinated with these strange-looking buildings I’d stumble upon, looming suddenly when turning a corner. They felt like distinctly otherworldly structures, alien to the surrounding architecture, yet unnoticed by passersby. I began seeking them out, looking for oddity in a city returning to normal.

The crisp light of New York City influenced my response to these structures; it amplified texture and created new geometry as hard shadows formed on outcrops, angled facades and the ground on which the buildings stood. They took on a monumental appearance, absorbing the sunlight like it was a natural piece of the landscape.

The buildings I photograph were designed by architects and planners who envisioned a bright utopian future for those living in America’s large cities. I prefer not to present a comment on whether this was successful. Instead, I seek to frame them as incredible monuments, dynamic and unsettling, now standing out of place and overlooked.

Website www.owen-davies.com