Glenn Suttenfield

5 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT GLENN SUTTENFIELD:

  1. It was in architecture school where Glenn was exposed to new artistic pursuits. He says, “seeing art at a more macro scale and its impact on the world was intriguing to me. I think seeing the results of amazing art, and the experience I have, was inspiring for me.”
  2. It’s easy to see where Glenn finds inspiration. With his photographs, he aims to explore cause-and-effect relationships and processes in architecture.
  3. With many of his photographs, it’s easy to see the importance of the sky in creating a mood and offsetting the focal point. “When you’re thinking about these forms, you must think about how that form meets the sky.”
  4. More recently, he has begun a new series which focuses on the affect of street lighting on the surrounding architecture. That series has begun to expand into looking at how different color lights found in urban settings can transform a composition, which Glenn hopes will evoke a 1920’s Constructivist feeling
  5. Believes that “everything is interesting, that’s what I tell my children. You should never be bored in life because everything is interesting.”

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ARTIST INTERVIEW:

From the lens to architectural grandeur, Glenn Suttenfield offers viewers a glimpse into his world. Glenn’s photographs tell a story and draw you closer to fully appreciate the details and symmetry presented. It was in architecture school where Glenn was exposed to new artistic pursuits. “Seeing art at a more macro scale and its impact on the world was intriguing to me. I think seeing the results of amazing art, and the experience I have, was inspiring for me.”

Now a practicing Architect, it is obvious where Glenn finds inspiration. “In architecture you tend to identify architectural forms, which you become familiar with, and so photographically I’m looking for those same forms.” Glenn’s approach has always been more process driven, as he is more interested in focusing on cause-and-effect relationships. “I don’t often do landscapes, I'm not drawn to that, so a lot of my subject matter is more archetypal and familiar.” With many of Glenn’s photographs, it’s easy to see the importance of the sky in creating a mood and offsetting the architectural focus. “When you’re thinking about these forms, you must think about how that form meets the sky.”

More recently, Glenn has begun a new series which focuses on the interplay between light and architecture. “I have a street light series, where it’s twilight and the lights illuminate the structures and create a different look than the sunlight would. So, you start understanding these structures a little more.” The series is designed to focus on composition, which Glenn hopes will evoke a 1920s Constructivist feeling. “I also have a dome series from different areas around the world. It's always been intriguing to me. There’s a reason domes are important, they create a sacred space.”

With every season of life, Glenn looks forward with gratitude and delight. He believes that “everything is interesting, that’s what I tell my children. You should never be bored in life because everything is interesting.”

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ARTIST BIO:

Glenn Suttenfield is an architect in Richmond who helps clients realize their vision for new and historic structures throughout Virginia. His work presents great opportunities to photograph historic buildings, great urban spaces, landscapes, and architectural details. His interest in architecture ranges from humble barns to palatial mansions to modern masterpieces.

Photography and architecture share some common creative ground: shade, shadow, texture, color, rhythm, detail, and form all play a role in the craft of both pursuits. But part of photography's allure to Glenn are those things it doesn't share with architecture, namely, the freedom to experiment on the fly, the ability to quickly dismiss the shots that didn't work, and the general ethereal nature of the process. His approach to photography is straightforward: capturing a moment in time, composing it well, and waiting for just the right light.

 

Insta: @suttenfield_photography
FB: Suttenfield Photography
www.suttenfieldphoto.com
www.glenn-suttenfield.pixels.com