Many filmmakers are concerned with set making, but not architecture. Steve McQueen, Best Director nominee for 12 Years a Slave (which is also nominated for Best Picture) has made a career of examining the role of architecture in building narrative.
Los Angeles Times Architecture Critic Christopher Hawthorne writes effusively of the work of Steve McQueen, who is nominated for Best Director at today’s Academy Awards:
“In a career that is still taking shape, the 44-year-old McQueen has already done more to make me rethink the relationship between the built environment and the camera than almost anybody in Hollywood.”
Hawthorne’s study of McQueen’s oeuvre is extensive, including mention of Giardini (2009), Hunger (2008), and Shame (2011) as well as McQueen’s video-art work and the film honored with multiple nominations tonight, 12 Years a Slave.
Read the full story: Oscars 2014: Architecture's precise role in Steve McQueen's films
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Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
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