A Conversation on Space and Photography with John Pawson and Carrie Scott

Exploring the Relationship Between the Lens and the Eye

Architect John Pawson and curator Carrie Scott come together for a discussion on the interplay between space and photography, examining the ways in which vision is shaped by both the human eye and the photographic lens.

Pawson, whose architectural practice is built on principles of simplicity, precision, and light, reflects on the critical differences between how the eye and the camera process the world. In his book essay, he writes:

"I am interested in the subtle but critical differences between what the lens and the eye can render. While both are physically capable of absorbing light, each processes the field of view in different ways. However sophisticated a lens, it doesn’t have the sensory capabilities of the eye. On the other hand, the camera does not rely on memory, but can commit the totality of what it does capture to plate, film, or digital file."

This distinction between perception and documentation, between human experience and photographic record, sits at the heart of Pawson’s artistic practice, where photography and architecture are inextricably linked.

John Pawson: Architecture and Photography in Parallel

For over thirty years, John Pawson has created rigorously simple architecture, work that speaks to the fundamentals of space, materiality, and light, while remaining modest in character. His designs span a broad range of scales and typologies, from private homes, sacred spaces, galleries, and museums to hotels, ballet sets, yacht interiors, and even a bridge across a lake.

While Pawson is best known for his built environments, his photography is a natural extension of the same vision. In Spectrum—first published by Phaidon in 2017—Pawson’s photographic work and his architectural sensibilities come together, capturing light, texture, and form with the same attention to detail that defines his buildings.

As Carrie Scott describes:

"In Spectrum, we see what Pawson may have seen when he captured the composition. We also see what he could have missed, bringing our own unique perception to the permanence of his photographic record."

Seeing Through Space: The Architecture of Photography

Pawson’s photography, much like his architecture, is an exercise in reduction and clarity. He records the world around him in a deliberate and distilled manner, using the camera not to interpret, but to document—offering a total visual commitment, rather than a memory shaped by bias and emotion.

And yet, even in this restrained approach, his photographs are unmistakably his own. Across each image, there is an obsessive attention to detail, a sensitivity to light, texture, and color. His images, like his buildings, are carefully constructed—suggesting that, despite his intent to document objectively, the architect’s hand, taste, and inherent biases are imprinted in each frame as surely as they are in his designs.

In his architectural installations, Pawson pushes this idea further, asking the viewer not simply to observe the work but to inhabit it—to step into an experience where space and light are the defining elements.

A Dialogue Between Image and Experience

This conversation between John Pawson and Carrie Scott offers a rare opportunity to explore the intersection of architecture, photography, and human perception. Through Spectrum, Pawson reveals how he sees the world—not as separate moments, but as a continuous study of light, materiality, and space.

His work challenges us to reconsider how we look, how we remember, and how we understand the spaces we move through—whether they are captured in an image or built in stone.

Watch Carrie’s recent interview with John for the Seen Seeing series, that gets to the heart of what makes an artist tick. We speak to the good and the great of the artworld, like John Pawson, ultimately creating an accurate portrait of how creatives survive, flourish and function today.