Selwyn Pullan: Photographing Mid-Century West Coast Modernism

“The stark beauty of an iconic architectural movement is captured in this rare collection of stunning images.

As an emerging photographer in the 1950s and ’60s, Selwyn Pullan played an important role in popularizing the new style of West Coast modernist architecture.

His photographs capturing Vancouver’s rapidly changing urban landscape appeared regularly in magazines and architectural journals, and helped tout the bold, dramatic architectural ideas thriving on the West Coast. Pullan became known for his ability to contextualize the work of architects through unique composition and tonal range.

He photographed projects for B.C.’s leading architects of the era, including Ron Thom, Fred Hollingsworth, C.E Pratt, Arthur Erickson and Barry Downs. Today, as Vancouver’s architectural landscape changes again, his photographs are all that remain of many of these projects, now demolished or altered beyond recognition. His archive forms a crucial record of a definitive architectural movement. Selwyn Pullan is the first full-length book dedicated to his compelling photographs. An extensive retrospective with beautifully reproduced images, this book’s illuminating texts also put the artist in historical and cultural context.” – Douglas & McIntyre