Drive-Thru Gallery – a unique space resembling a carwash or storage unit just south of Roosevelt St in between 5th and 6th streets in downtown Phoenix, AZ

It is often stated that photography is an art of capture, not creation, which leads some to disregard it as a fine art altogether.  Peter Brian Klein’s latest exhibition Abstractions in Design proves that capturing images of the world around us can definitely create great artwork.  The show features 12 monochromatic architectural images inkjet-printed directly on brushed aluminum.

Peter Brian Klein “Denver Art Museum” – Inkjet Print on Brushed Aluminum – 32 in x 21 in

These images are not your typical architectural photographs.  Klein pays primary attention to geometric patterns and iconic features of unique buildings, such as The Arizona Science Center in Phoenix, The Denver Art Museum, the United Steelworkers Building in Pittsburg, and Chase Tower in Phoenix.  Klein’s focus on specific details and patterns, along with the monochromatic print quality, creates abstract geometric images that rival modern abstractionists.  He removes the whole of the architecture and allows one to lose their sense of place in the geometry.  Klein then grounds the images in reality with organic elements, such as trees jutting into the frame, maintaining a balance of industry and nature.

Klein’s unique perspectives of the urban environment activate the viewer by allowing them to admire the aesthetic of both the image and his subjects.  He asks the viewer to participate in examining the imagery and recognizing the intimate detail of architectural forms.  As a result the images awaken a connectedness to elements in our surroundings, even the buildings that many ignore daily.