POLYSEMIC SNAPSHOTS: THROUGH THE LENS OF IWAN BAAN

Abstract

Embedded in the existing image-centred culture, photographs have become a major voice in the representation of architecture. Seen as records of evidence, the reception of photographs is easy to partake. It is critical to understand the repercussions arisen in the intersection of photography and architecture. The scope of this discussion revolves around Dutch photographer Iwan Baan and his production of photographs. Cited as the photographer of the contemporary era, this discussion seeks to understand why Iwan Baan is so sought after within the architectural field. His methodologies are analysed to discover the differences from tradition means of architectural photography. This discussion posits that Iwan Baan’s photographs offer a new mode of architectural representation through his distinctive approach. They serve as a critical reflection of the architectural production; his images offers more than an architect’s vision, providing a basis of analysis and self-reflection on the architectural discourse. Ultimately, the discussion questions the role of the contemporary architectural photographer and how Baan’s polysemic snapshots is able to contribute to the architectural community. Iwan Baan’s photoessays would be examined to exemplify the contemporary production of architecture. Engaging with seminal theories from Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and Walter Benjamin, photographic theories of Roland Barthes and Vilém Flusser, and writings of Susan Sontag, Baan’s photographs would be analysed and decoded to reveal the critical layers embedded.