Artist Statement
Architecture is basically about two things: the space which is created by the construct of structure: walls, floors, windows, ceilings; the intersection of two or more materials. These two elements are influenced by culture, style, wealth, climate, topography, and availability of building materials.
I am both a retired architect and a street photographer. When I wander through cities, I am less interested in taking a prize winning photo which captures the architect’s intent and more drawn to the ways various cultures deal with bringing together different materials or different planes of the same material. Often these intersections are highlighted or delineated with color.
In September 2024, I was fortunate to be in residence in Antigua, Guatemala. This is a world heritage site designed which are defined by Wikipedia as:
…landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.”
There are strict controls about what colors can be used on the public sides of buildings in Antigua but that doesn’t prevent a wide range of evocative solutions on how to have a building face its public. The selection of images for this portfolio is only an appetizers for the visual treat of walking the streets of Antigua.
Kip Harris Biography
Harris grew up in a small farming community in Idaho. He holds degrees in English literature from Dartmouth College, in humanities from the University of Chicago, and architecture from the University of Utah. He was a principal of FFKR Architects in Salt Lake City for nearly 30 years.
A serious photographer since the late 80s, Harris has exhibited in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. He has been published in Shots Magazine, The Photo Review, Art Reveal, Smithsonian.com, Street Photography Magazine, Barren Magazine, Tagree, Square, Black and White (cover) and a number of on-line photographic sites. He has been at resident at the Rural Residence in Contemporary Art in the Val Camonica Valley of Italy and Gracia in Antigua, Guatemala.
