Genius Loci

Just as Cranbrook—an estate that became a set of schools and cultural institutions—does not fit into any neat category, Balthazar Korab does not fit into any neat category of photographer. He is an architectural photographer with a passionate interest in nature, a natural photographer who produces compelling images of such man-made aspects of the world as automobiles, a lover of contemporary form who takes exquisite photographs of older buildings, and a romantic who views all of his subjects with the sharpness of a laser.

In Genius Loci, Korab shows readers that Cranbrook is an assemblage of great architecture in which the whole is even more than the sum of the parts. By looking at Cranbrook in tiny details, great panoramas, and both long and wide views, Korab captures not only the beauty and delight in the buildings and public art of Cranbrook but the meaning of the place itself. A foreword by Paul Goldberger, dean of Parsons School of Design and architecture critic for the New Yorker, introduces location and contextualizes Korab's photographs. The rest of the book consists of photographs only, as Korab allows the locations to speak for themselves. Indeed, more than 150 lush black-and-white photographs showcase works from the legendary artists and architects that have contributed to Cranbrook's campus, including Eliel Saarinen and Carl Milles.

Architecture buffs, Cranbrook alumni, and fans of Korab's photography will appreciate this attractive and unique volume.