Architectural and Fine Art Photography, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
April 2021 Update
On April 12, Professor Mark DeKay, former U.S. Host, and Fulbright Artist Pygmalion Karatzas presented an updated version of Integral Lens at the IUAV University of Venice, Italy:
Lecture 4, THE INTEGRAL LENS: Perspectives on Architectural Photography - YouTube
and organized a digital exhibit for the Integral European Conference in Hungary:
Integral Lens: digital exhibit, Parts 1-5, HR1080p. by Pygmalion Karatzas and Mark DeKay
November 2019 Update
Architectural photographer Pygmalion Karatzas has kept in close contact with Mark DeKay, his host and Professor of Architecture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, ever since his Fulbright grant period. So much so that they co-organized a follow-up workshop in Greece for the U.S. students of Professor DeKay. Their trip was an extensive one with numerous visits to better and lesser known spots. No need to say that the group took beautiful pictures of the surrounding landscape, the buildings and their interiors, all of which can be viewed on the dedicated webpage:
Capturing the Human Experience in Place: Architectural and landscape photography workshop in Greece
December 2016 Update
From the very beginning, Pygmalion Karatzas was well prepared and organized and during his project proposal presentation, entitled ‘Integral lens - an integral approach to the study and representation of the built environment through the photographic medium’, he showed detailed documentation of the places to visit, the people to meet and the sites to photograph. A couple of months of intense communication followed to fill in all the required information for the visa issuance: travel itineraries, timeframe, exact budget and local contacts details for each city.
Finally, Pygmalion departed and a few months later, the Fulbright office received a message:
9,600 miles of flying
4,200 miles of driving
1,300 miles of public commuting
750,000 steps of walking
12,000 still images taken
65,000 images in time-lapse video, 20 minutes of edited video
150 buildings and locations from 12 cities
20 meetings and interviews with related professionals
20 publications and features
150 days on the road
For his Fulbright grant and U.S. stay, Pygmalion had secured a strong affiliation with Professor Mark DeKay at The University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design at Knoxville, who was very supportive of his research and road trip and who stayed in touch with him as Pygmalion traveled through multiple destinations, establishing digital contact between him and his students for online workshops and presentations.
The ultimate surprise came when Pygmalion presented the two Integral Lens publications as the outcome of his grant. The magnificent color and black/white photographs with their sharp outline, atmospheric lighting, soft colors and wide angle immediately impressed on the viewer an image of the expansiveness and variety of the American landscape both urban and natural. The Fulbright Foundation in Greece is grateful to Pygmalion for the two editions he donated to the Art Supports Education – Fulbright Alumni Art Series, a grassroots initiative to raise funds for the Fulbright Scholarship Program and invest in education.
INTEGRAL LENS, 2017 (3 series)
Pygmalion Karatzas is a Fulbright Alumnus of the 2015-2016 Artist Program
Photo: Pygmalion Karatzas