Overview

Midnight Modern brings into focus a view of Palm Springs and its internationally renowned modernist houses never before shown, shot entirely by the light of the full moon. Created over the course of three years by Australian photographer Tom Blachford, the surreal images function as portals in time, with the homes, cars, and beautiful scenery appearing almost exactly as it all did 60 years ago. The crisp moonlight adds a new dimension to the famous mecca of desert modernism and shows a contrasting side of a town famous for its sunshine, cocktails, and hedonism. Working closely with the Palm Springs community, Blachford gained remarkable access to some of the most coveted architectural jewels in the area, including the Kaufmann Desert House, Edris House, Frey House II, Frank Sinatra Twin Palms Estate, and dozens of restored Alexander tract homes in the valley. Blachford's work builds on the famous documentary and lifestyle approaches of Julius Shulman and Slim Aarons, but injects a signature mystery. His cinematic aesthetic acts as a stage for an untold narrative, inviting the viewer to script their own drama going on behind the walls of these historic homes. This original, lush work is a rich contribution to the record for those midcentury architecture and design lovers fascinated by Palm Springs.

Full Product Details

9781576878347

Table of Contents

Reviews

A surreal ode to the California desert oasis of Palm Springs and its cache of pristine modernist architecture. --<b>Architectural Digest</b>

Author Information

Working at the intersection of long exposure photography and exploration of the built environment, Tom Blachford’s photographs seek to transform predictable and known environments into surreal and dreamlike worlds. Obsessed with capturing the moments of clarity, color, and mystery that exist just beyond the limits of our human perception, Blachford bridges our worlds to dark realms beyond our reach. Captivated by architecture not only for its sculptural forms, Blachford’s images of homes, towns, and suburbs act as the stage for unwritten narratives that implore the viewer to script their own drama happening behind the walls of each scene. Using only existing light sources—the moon (“Midnight Modern”), the neon lights of Tokyo (“Nihon Noir”), or the harsh streetlights of L.A. (“Noct Angeles”)—Blachford hunts for the overlooked cinematic moments in the everyday, and works to distill them with a sense of mystery, unease, and wonder. Tom’s work has been featured widely across platforms and has been exhibited and collected across Australia, Europe, and the U.S. He currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available