The Constant Future
A Century of the Regional Plan
No centennial is to be taken lightly. When James Sanders asked us to photograph the Regional Plan Associationâs celebratory exhibit to mark crossing into triple digits - in Grand Central Terminal, no less - we knew we had been granted a special opportunity.
The exhibit is a bold, immersive, and densely layered portal into the world shaped by the RPA. Some might say itâs the world New Yorkers live in every day, as much of the cityâs urban planning springs from ideas developed by this organization. The RPAâs dedication to forward-looking solutions for urban planning and public policy issues has flowed continuously throughout its tenure, although sometimes just outside the public eye. This exhibit allows the RPA to take a much-deserved victory lap.
Photographed October 10th, 2022.
Exhibition Design: James Sanders Studio
Graphic Design: Pure + Applied
Client: The Regional Plan Association
I love the built environment. My photographic practice is anchored by my fascination with design, urbanity and the tactile experience of our surroundings. I believe that our built environment is in tension between intentionality and circumstance, the whole made more powerful by the nature of its duality. My passion is creating photographic representations at the intersection of design, implementation, and context.
I believe in telling stories. Great photography creates narrative strings that enhance our understanding of the built environment. I use my experience to highlight, finesse, contextualize the ideas embedded in each project. My goal is to explore implementations of great design, distilling and connecting photographic vignettes that offer insight into the ideas that shape our world.
I began my career as an architectural designer and refined my focus to the representation of architecture. My interest is in built work - the physical manifestation of design. Through scouting, planning, photographing and all the steps that come after, I refine the representation of each project to best reflect the goals of my clients.
I hold a Bachelor of the Arts in Architecture from Columbia University and a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the School of Visual Arts. I am based in Manhattan and available for assignments worldwide.
You can reach me at info@alexanderseverin.com