John Gollings: The History of the Built World

John Gollings: The History of the Built World was the first major survey of Gollings’s photographic practice, offering a much anticipated opportunity to appreciate the full breadth of his distinctive career and unique artistic vision.

Constantly innovating with photographic technologies, and investigating new subjects with a restless enthusiasm, Gollings has developed a distinctive visual style. Rather than documenting buildings in a way that reproduces the impersonal elevation plans of an architectural diagram, this style typically conveys a personal or physical connection with the structure being photographed, embedding the viewer in dramatic face-to-face encounters with built environments. Using a range of compositional techniques and visual effects to invest architecture with personality, he portrays buildings as lively habitats rather than static monuments.

This exhibition offered a much anticipated opportunity to appreciate the full breadth of his distinctive career and unique artistic vision.

John Gollings: The History of the Built World is an MGA travelling exhibition.

View from The Mint auditorium through the louvres to the internal courtyard

Behind the Lens with John Gollings

We go behind the lens with architectural photographer, John Gollings. Uncover insights into his interactions with architects and how these conversations help define his approach to capturing the shot

Small structure in tree with sunset behind.

About John Gollings: The History Of The Built World

This exhibition explored over half a century of work from Australia’s foremost architectural photographer comes to the Museum of Sydney

Past exhibition