otherworldly urban landscapes in USA find focus in owen davies' light/mass photo series

owen davies captures utopian yet surreal monuments

Light/Mass is an ongoing series of alien-like urban landscapes found in cities across the United States. Exploring the under appreciated architecture of metropolitan America, photographer Owen Davies reveals the wonderful strangeness of these monument-like structures standing in familiar urban environments. Ranging from a city hall perched atop an interstate highway in Massachusetts to a concrete salt shed in New York City, they are distinctly surreal, yet unnoticed by passersby. In particular, structures designed by architects and planners who envisioned a bright utopian future for those living in America’s large cities captured Davies’ attention. ‘I seek to frame them as incredible monuments, dynamic and unsettling, now standing out of place and overlooked,’ he shares.

Terrace on the Tower, New York City, NY | all images by Owen Davies

light/mass illuminates their geometries and presences

Owen Davies moved to New York City from England in the spring of 2020, just days before the city shut down due to the pandemic. Like many people living in the city during that time, the photographer walked and cycled through the near-deserted streets, passing time and getting a sense of his new home. During these explorations, he became fascinated with some of the more strange-looking buildings he encountered, which seemed to loom suddenly at the turn of 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,’ he notes.

The photographer’s response to these structures was deeply influenced by the crisp light of New York City; it amplified textures and created new geometries, 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 as if they were a natural piece of the landscape. This interplay of light and shadow emphasized their unique forms and enhanced their surreal presence, captured in the Light/Mass series.

City Hall, Fall River, MA

Spring Street Salt Shed, New York City, NY

Former Armstrong Rubber Building, New Haven, CT

Erastus Corning Tower, Albany, NY

The HUD Building, Washington D.C

Queens Place Mall, New York City, NY

Asphalt Green, New York City, NY

The Egg, Albany, NY

Hirshhorn Museum, Washington D.C

Eric Lindemann Building, Boston, MA

project info:

name: LIGHT/MASS

photographer: Owen Davies

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom