With his new London exhibition, architectural photographer Max Creasy is inviting us to a timely conceptual exploration. Opening at the Architectural Association (AA) this week, the photographic exhibition 'Bad Language', featuring Creasy's art shot in conjunction with a series of architecture studios across Europe, poses a key question: where is contemporary architectural photography heading?
The Australian-Norwegian photographer zooms in on the shift currently experienced in the field and investigates new approaches, in particular, the role and aesthetic of the 'snapshot' in capturing architecture within 21st-century photography. We caught up with the artist, who is based between London and Berlin, to find out more.
Max Creasy on the 'snapshot' in contemporary architectural photography
Wallpaper*: Why 'Bad Language'? What inspired the title of the show?
Max Creasy: The idea is that within formal architectural photography, the snapshot would be considered ‘bad language’ – a type of profanity. The title also touches on what some have considered bad architecture in the past, which several of the young architects in the show reference in their work. But the actual inspiration for the use of ‘bad language’ comes from a conversation I had with the architect Job Floris (co-founder of studio Monadnock), where he told me he and David Kohn would say to each other, ‘Keep up the bad work!’
The Green Room: ‘Peter Doig’s kitchen painted by Peter Doig during the renovation of his terrace house in London by Hayatsu Architects. This humble kitchen shows [founding director] Takeshi Hayatsu’s continuous collaborative work on the material surface of architecture via ornament, colour and finishes.'
W*: How would you define a 'snapshot'?
MC: I think a snapshot is a photograph that is perceived as being amateur; it has a casual composition but has the potential to be more intimate as there is a casual relationship between the photographer and the subject.
What I find interesting about a snapshot, particularly in an architectural context, is that I see it as a form of vernacular photography that taps into a recognisable act of using flash, which suggests presence and our understanding of intimate family pictures. I am interested in bringing a more humane aspect to architectural photography.
Mouse: 'A mouse sticker applied by the builders during the renovation of the historic Great Portland Street in London, which faces the British Museum. [Architects] OMMX’s simple intervention, led by the use of yellow, readily embraces the complexity of everyday life – and of course, this includes the relatively tacky sticker.'
W*: Could snapshots be seen as an act of rebellion?
MC: I think within the very staged world of architecture and its representation, yes. Historically, [this has] been very focused on the isolated representation of the architectural form itself. In this world, there is very little suggestion of context or human life, particularly in an everyday sense. But context and life are all things architecture contains and are a very important part of the whole, [the] story.
[Snapshots’] role has been mostly limited to just the travel reference photography of famous architects. I think the snapshot has mostly sat a little outside architectural photography in an art reference position – work like John Divola’s Zuma [series, of an abandoned building between 1977 and 1979] and Wolfgang Tilmans’ [2014 Venice Biennale installation] Book for Architects, for instance. Architectural photography is almost only understood to be taken with a tripod and thus staged.
Hearth House: ‘A new north-facing wall allows indirect sunlight into the 18th-century storehouse transformation by Kastler Skjeseth Architects. Framed by a rock face, it stands in contrast to the vernacular appearance of the intervention’s three most visible sides. In other words, certain period renovations created areas of freedom that allowed for a more radical approach to the north wall, placing the entire project in a productive tension.'
W*: What is the role of the snapshot in your work as an architectural photographer?
MC: I see the snapshot as one of several tools within my toolkit that I can use as part of my conversations with architects and their work. Traditionally, there has been a lot of focus on the birth of a building, when it is conceived by the architect and nobody has moved in – a pristine state. The occupation of the building is largely overlooked.
So when I’m trying to discuss life, particularly the human one, I think it has the potential to be engaging. Modern camera technology allows you to hand-hold the camera and still get very detailed images that were once only reserved for shooting on large-format cameras.
Takeshi: 'Takeshi Hayatsu on site at Milton Keynes during the construction of the Modernist Glade. Takeshi casually sits on top of some materials in the square, working on his laptop – a quiet gesture that shows his engagement with the place itself.'
W*: What is the subject’s role in this photographic approach? Does it differ (and how) from more traditional architectural photography?
MC: I think with this approach, there is a level of intimacy required between the photographer and subject, more akin to portrait photography. Architectural photography is generally voyeuristic – the photographer quietly stands from afar and does not engage with the subject, the architecture or its occupants. The snapshot requires more time to engage with the subject to build some type of trust that allows the photographs to seem more intimate.
Kanzlei Strasse: 'Kanzleistrasse 95 is a social housing project by Lütjens Padmanabhan in Zurich. The building’s rich, ornate façade has been carefully restored with its subtle, tonal quality preserved. Bright green windows and doors at the base hint that the building has come back to life. The green colour directly references James Stirling’s iconic green, seen in the Neue Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart and the Clore Gallery at Tate Britain. Today, this loud green has become part of the repertoire of Lütjens Padmanabhan and other European architects fascinated by Stirling’s postmodern period.'
W*: What are you hoping the visitor will take away from the show?
MC: That they can see the possibility to describe architecture in a different way.
'Bad Language' is on view 26 September – 6 December 2025 at the Front Members’ Room and AA Bar at the Architectural Association in London, UK
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