This Viewing Room presents The History of the Built World, a survey of John Gollings’ sustained engagement with the evolution of architecture and his distinctive photographic vision.
The History of the Built World marked the first major survey of John Gollings’ photographic practice. The exhibition traced his long engagement with architecture across several decades. Trained in architectural history and grounded in photographic practice, Gollings documents and interprets the built environment with precision. Over time, his work has helped shape the visual record of Australia’s evolving urban and cultural landscape.
Originally developed by the Monash Gallery of Art, the exhibition showcases 65 photographic works spanning Gollings’ extensive portfolio.
It includes images of abandoned cities, modernist buildings, and recent additions to the urban landscape. The retrospective provides a visual history of human habitats, both at home and abroad.
PUBLICATION
Beautiful Ugly, the Architectural Photography of John Gollings, Joe Rollo
Thames & Hudson, ISBN 978 050050 031 6
“Beautiful Ugly takes a look, in words, pictures and recollections, at the art of Gollings’ photography as he has made his remarkable journey around Australia’s architectural landscape. The images, personally selected by Gollings for this book, open a door into the art of architectural photography as interpreted through the lens and eye of one of Australia’s greatest architectural photographers, a true maker of pictures.”
The book is available for sale, John Gollings will sign it upon request.
CREDITS
Artist
John Gollings, OAM
Exhibition
The History of the Built World, Maud Gallery, 2019
Medium
Archival pigment inkjet prints.
Enquiries
Pricing and availability on request via Maud Gallery. Please quote the. artwork title.
CURATORIAL NOTE
First developed by the Monash Gallery of Art and later presented at Maud Gallery in 2019, The History of the Built Worldsurveys John Gollings’ significant contribution to architectural photography. The exhibition highlights the relationship between documentation, design and photographic interpretation across Australia’s built environment.
