May 16 – June 2, 2018

Photography as Sculpture: A New Way of Seeing

Renowned for his rigorously minimalist architecture, John Pawson is not typically associated with photography. Yet, in his groundbreaking installation, Spectrum, Pawson seamlessly unites the two disciplines, creating an experience that is as sculptural as it is photographic.

Originally conceived as a book published by Phaidon in 2017, Spectrum has been transformed into an immersive spatial installation, redefining the boundaries between photography, sculpture, and architecture. Instead of simply looking at images, visitors are invited to inhabit the work, experiencing its shifts in space, dimension, and time. The result is an exhibition that challenges our understanding of photography as art, inviting us to see it instead as a dynamic, three-dimensional experience.

A Minimalist’s Lens: The Intersection of Architecture and Photography

Pawson’s approach to photography mirrors his architectural philosophy—a focus on reduction, precision, and an obsession with light, texture, and color.

Unlike the eye, which processes light and space in fluid motion, the camera commits to totality—a fixed and permanent record rather than a subjective memory. Yet, as much as Spectrum is about capturing the world in its purest, most reduced form, it is equally about what escapes the frame.

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

An Immersive Chromatic Experience

The installation at The Store X brings all 320 photographs from the book into a sculptural, three-dimensional space, intensifying the viewer’s physical and visual encounter. The arrangement creates a journey through color and light, where the chromatic spectrum unfolds across the entire gallery.

Each photograph is presented at a uniform size, hung in double-sided pairs, and suspended at eye level.
The custom hanging system ensures minimal visual distraction, heightening the abstract and immersive quality of the experience.
Unlike in the book, the images read less as individual photographs and more as fluid washes of color, each charged with emotional resonance.

The result is a space that shifts continuously, changing as visitors move through it—from white to black, light to dark, warm to cool—mirroring the way we experience architecture and space rather than simply observing a photographic exhibition.

Breaking Disciplinary Boundaries

With Spectrum, Pawson challenges us to reconsider where photography ends and sculpture begins. The work expands the photographic medium beyond the frame, reconfiguring it into a spatial, experiential form.

Originally installed in an iconic brutalist building in central London in May 2018, Spectrum was curated by art historian Carrie Scott for The Store X, offering a radical new way to experience Pawson’s vision of light, texture, and form.

This is not just an exhibition of photographs—it is an architectural experience, a journey through color and perception, and a profound statement on the evolving nature of photography in contemporary art.