Selwyn Pullan (Photographing Mid-Century West Coast Modernism)

A student of the Los Angeles Art Center, now the Art Center College of Design, Selwyn Pullan became known specifically for his ability to contextualize the work of architects through his unique composition and tonal range. His photographs were included in numerous architectural periodicals in the 1950s and '60s, and he played an important role in transmitting the new style of West Coast modernist architecture to consumers via popular magazines. Pullan photographed projects for British Columbia's leading architects from this era, including Ron Thom, Arthur Erickson, and Barry Downs, and today his photos are all that are left of many of these projects, now demolished or altered beyond recognition. His archive forms a crucial record of a definitive architectural movement. Sumptuously illustrated with both black-and-white and color photographs, this is a celebration both of a remarkable body of work and a transformative period of design history. Selwyn Pullan is the first full-length book dedicated to his compelling photographs.